Madden NFL 2005 - General FAQ (PS2)

MADDEN NFL 2005
Collector's Edition
FAQ/USER GUIDE
Version 0.1 (09/24/04)
PS2 Version
compiled by sayow
(sayowx@hotmail.com)
All intelligent input welcome. Flaming will be ignored...
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. CONTROLS
II. GLOSSARY OF TERMS
III. PLAYER RATINGS
IV. DEFENSE 101
V. OFFENSE 101
VI. FRANCHISE 101
I. CONTROLSDefense Pre-Snap
X = Cycle through players, left to right
O = Cycle through players, right to left
L1 = Defensive Line Shift
+U = Shifts DLine outside the Tackles
+D = Shifts DLine between the Tackles
+L = Shifts DLine left
+R = Shifts DLine right
L1, L2 = Reset Defensive Line Shift
R1 = Linebacker Shift
+U = Shifts OLBs outside the Tackles
+D = Shifts OLBs between the Tackles
+L = Shifts LBs left
+R = Shifts LBs right
R1, L2 = Reset Linebacker Shift
/\ = Coverage audibles
+U = Puts DBs into loose coverage
+D = Puts DBs into bump and run coverage
+L = Puts Safeties into tight coverage near LOS
+R = Puts all covering defenders into better position to cover their
assignments
/\, L2 = Reset coverage
[], L2 = Reset to the originally selected play
[], R2 = Flip play
[] = Audible (X, O, [], L1 and R1 are preset plays picked by the CPU or you)
L2 = Coach Cam (without defensive assignments)
R2 = Coach Cam (with defensive assignments)
L3 = Pump up crowd (from LB positions only)
Select = Timeout
Start = Pause/In-game submenus (Defensive Assignments, Stats, Substitutions,
Game Settings, etc.)
Defensive Playmaker
First, cycle through to highlight the player whose assignment you want to
change
X = Cycle through players, left to right
O = Cycle through players, right to left
Then use R3 (the Right Analog stick) to make the assignment
U = Assigns player to play a Deep Zone
D = Assigns player to Blitz
D, D = Assigns player to play QB Contain
L = Assigns player to play QB Spy
R = Assigns player to cover the Flat to his side of the field
Defense Post-Snap
[] = Dive
X = Control player closest to the ball
O = Sprint/Shove
/\ = Jump/Intercept/Hands Up
R1 = Rip/Swim/Spin (tap button) or Strafe (hold button)
R2 = Strip Ball
R3 = Hit Stick (see Hit Stick notes)
L1 = Rip/Swim/Spin (tap button)
L2 = Swat Ball
Offense Pre-Snap
[] = Audible (X, O, [], L1 and R1 are preset plays picked by the CPU or you)
/\ = Cancel an audible
[], L2 = Run the originally selected play
[], R2 = Flip the play
L3 = Hot Route primary receiver
/\ = Hot Route other receivers (add the D-pad direction to determine the route
to be run)
+U = Sends Receiver on Fly/Go Route
+D = Sends Receiver on Curl Route
+L = Sends Receiver on an In/Out pattern to the left
+R = Sends Receiver on an In/Out pattern to the right
+L2 = Sends Receiver on Slant pattern to the left
+R2 = Sends Receiver on Slant pattern to the right
L3, U/D = Highlight eligible receivers
L3, R/L = Send highlighted eligible receiver in motion to the left or right
R1 = Formation Shift (use D-pad to shift to new formation)
L2 = Coach Cam (without play diagram)
R2 = Coach Cam (with play diagram)
O = Fake snap
X = Snap the ball
Rushing
X = Sprint
[] = Dive (Slide (tap) or Dive (hold) QB only)
O = Spin
/\ = Cover Up/Protect Ball
L1 = Juke left
L2 = Stiff arm left
R1 = Juke right
R2 = Stiff arm right
Passing
X = Bring up passing icons (if Passing Mode is set at Normal) Press X, O, [],
L1 and R1 to pass ball to the corresponding receivers
/\ = Throw the ball away (while passing icons are up)
R2 = Pump fake
L2 = Scramble
Receiving
X = Control intended receiver
[] = Dive for the pass
O = Sprint
/\ = Jump
Blocking
X = Switch to closest blocker
[] = Cut block
O = Sprint/Power Block
/\ = Jump
/\ = Change blocking assignment (pre-snap, highlight HB or FB)
R2 = Assigns HB or FB to block right
L2 = Assigns HB or FB to block left
Post Play
[] = Fake ball spike
X = Bypass cutscene
O = Spike ball (hold)
/\ = No huddle/Repeat last play
L1+R1 = Instant Replay
Select = Call timeout
II. GLOSSARY OF TERMS
LT: Left Tackle
RT: Right Tackle
LG: Left Guard
RG: Right Guard
C: Center
QB: Quarterback
HB: Halfback
FB: Fullback
FL: Flanker (aka Wide Receiver or Weakside Wide Receiver)
SE: Split End (aka Wide Receiver or Strongside Wide Receiver)
TE: Tight End
TE2: Tight End 2
WR: Wide Receiver (aka Flanker or Split End}
SL1: Slot Receiver 1
SL2: Slot Receiver 2
SL3: Slot Receiver 3
Wide Out: Same as Wide Receiver
Slot: Flanker and Split End usually line up on opposite sides of the Line of
Scrimmage and the Tight End Lines up on the Right next to the Right Tackle.
There are two Slots when the team lines up for the Snap: one is between the
Left Tackle and the Flanker and the other is between the Tight End and the
Split End
DE: Defensive End
LDE: Left Defensive End
RDE: Right Defensive End
DT: Defensive Tackle
LDT: Left Defensive Tackle
RDT: Right Defensive Tackle
LB: Linebacker
LOLB: Left Outside Linebacker (aka Strong Side Linebacker)
ROLB: Right Outside Linebacker (aka Weak Side Linebacker)
MLB: Middle Linebacker
LILB: Left Inside Linebacker
RILB: Right Inside Linebacker
SSLB: Strong Side Linebacker (aka Left Outside Linebacker)
WSLB: Weak Side Linebacker (aka Right Outside Linebacker)
LCB: Leftside Corner Back
RCB: Rightside Corner Back
FS: Free Safety (aka Weak Side Safety)
SS: Strong Safety (aka Strong Side Safety)
Defender: Any player on Defense
Rusher: Any player that is pursuing the Quarterback on a pass play
Blocker: Any player on offense that is trying to prevent a tackle from
occurring
LOS: Line of Scrimmage
Snap: The exchange of football between the Center and the Quarterback. This
initiates play on the field.
Pocket or In the Pocket: The area direct behind the Quarterback and the
Offensive Line usually between the hash marks on the field
Out of the Pocket: The areas to the right and left of the hash marks behind
the Line of Scrimmage (aka the Flat)
Flat or Flats: The areas to the right and left of the hash marks behind the
Line of Scrimmage
Swing: A pass play that is made in the areas to the right and left of the hash
marks behind the Line of Scrimmage.
Screen: A pass play that is made in the areas to the right and left of the
hash marks behind the Line of Scrimmage. One or two Offensive Linemen are
usually involved in the play along with the receiver.
Run: A running play
Drop Back or Drop: the area in the Pocket where the Quarterback sets up to
throw the ball
3-Step Drop: The number of steps a Quarterback takes when moving back into the
Pocket after the Snap. This usually indicates a short pass.
5-Step Drop: The number of steps a Quarterback takes when moving back into the
Pocket after the Snap. This usually indicates a short or medium pass.
7-Step Drop: The number of steps a Quarterback takes when moving back into the
Pocket after the Snap. This usually indicates a medium to long pass.
Roll-out: a pass play where the Quarterback drops back and pulls to one side
of the field and out of the Pocket to set up to pass the ball
Flood: An offensive play that attempts to put more receivers on one side of
the field in an attempt to get a mismatch in the number of Receivers to the
number of Defenders on that side of the field. The Quarterback then tries to
throw to the uncovered Receiver. (aka Overload)
Overload: An offensive play that attempts to put more receivers on one side of
the field in an attempt to get a mismatch in the number of Receivers to the
number of Defenders on that side of the field. The Quarterback then tries to
throw to the uncovered Receiver. (aka Flood)
Types of Defenses
4-3: 4 Defensive Linemen, 3 Linebackers
This is the common defense in the NFL.
3-4: 3 Defensive Linemen, 4 Linebackers
This defense was employed by only the Steelers last year. A few more teams are
considering it this year.
Zone: Zone Defense or Zone Coverage
Zone Coverage is best called when you suspect a Run play or a short pass play.
The Defensive players will cover general areas of the field. One good reason
for using this kind of coverage as your main coverage is because your pass
coverage is weak (<80 Perception?) or slow (<80 Speed) or both. This coverage
is vulnerable to Flood or Overload plays and Deep passes.
Man-to-Man: This coverage is best used when you suspect a medium to long pass
or when Flood or Overload plays are taking advantage of mismatches in
coverage. One good reason for using this kind of coverage as your main
coverage is because your pass coverage is strong (>80 Perception?) or speedy
(>80 Speed) or both. This coverage is vulnerable to Run plays and
Screen/Swing/Flat passes.
Blitz: A defensive that sends 5 or more Rushers at the Quarterback
Overload Blitz: A blitz that sends more Rushers from one side or the other
than there are Blockers on that side of the ball
That's a pretty good start for this party...
III. PLAYER RATINGS
This was found on a site that was run by GridIronGhost and Makaveli. The site
either no longer exists or I just can't find it now. This is important
information to know when interpreting player stats and capabilities and it is
especially helpful for Franchise mode...
PLAYER RATINGS
Scott Taylor
Development Director
Tiburon - Electronic Arts
Ok here is a summary of how the ratings are used. It is not an exhustive list
of what the ratings do, but it does cover the major areas. Please start one
thread with questions on ratings, and another with suggestions and complaints.
One thread I will read one I won't .
Height
- Player model scaling
Strength
- Used in determining if a defensive back should bump a receiver and outcome
of bump
- Used in determining how long the Oomph move lasts
- Used in determining when to chop block
- Used in determining the outcome of a Stiffarm
- Used in determining the outcome of an Oomph
Agility
- Player's delay before getting up adjusted a bit by agility
- Used in determining if a player gets faked by Juke or Spin
- Used in determining velocity changes in Man To Man coverages
- Blocking adjustments when engaged in a block
- Used in determining whether the CPU player will attempt special move (Spin,
Juke)
- Used in determining velocity changes to receivers running routes
- Used in determining speed of Spin move
- Used in determining velocity of player during Juke
- Used in determining if a chopped player will fall
- Used in determining how fast a player changes direction when moving
Speed
- Used in determining a rough estimate of Time To Intercept for a player to a
location
- Used in determining if a defensive back should bump a receiver and outcome
of bump
- Used in determining Defensive pursuit angles
- Used in determining speed of player for the Defensive Bone move
- Used in determining when a Defensive covering the flats needs to get there
- Used in determining how a Ball Carrier should run (threats)
- Used in determining effectiveness of Speed Burst
- Used in determining blocking pursuit angles
- Used in determining maximum top speed of a player
Acceleration
- Used in determining if a defensive back should bump a receiver and outcome
of bump
- Used in determining effectiveness of Speed Burst
- Used in determining turning velocity (change of direction momentum) of
moving players
Awareness
- Used all over the place whenever a player must make an intelligent football
decision.
Catch Ability
(Catching the football in the air.
Carry
- Used in determining whether or not the ball carrier will fumble when hit.
Throw Power
- Used in determining the distance a QB can throw with power.
Throw Accuracy
- Used in determining the accuracy of all throws
Kick Power
- Used in determining the distance of kicked balls
Kick Accuracy
- Used in determining the accuracy of kicked balls
Break Tackle
- Used in determining the chance of avoiding or breaking a tackle
Tackle
- Used in determining the chance of tackling the ball carrier
Importance
- Used in determining the price of Trades, who gets Re-signed
Pass Block
- Blocking adjustments when engaged in a block
- Used in determining when to chop block
Run Block
- Blocking adjustments when engaged in a block
- Used in determining when to chop block
Injury
- Used in determining the chance and severity of an injury to a player Hand
(Left or Right handed, used for determining the QB Throw animation to use.
Real Position
(The player's real position, not what he is currently playing. Players are
penalized for playing a position that is not similar to their Real Position.
Real Position is no longer listed as a stat in Madden. I included it because
we all should know what was in the original letter. A lowering of stats is the
penalty for playing a player out of position. However, you should know that
interchanging mirroring players (i.e. LT and RT, LG and RG, LDE and RDE, LOLB
and ROLB) does not penalize the stats of those players when exchanged at those
positions only...
Toughness replaced Real Position on the stat sheet and is related to Injury. I
believe that it's the threshold that has to be surpassed before an injury can
even be calculated on that play. Let me know if you find anything else out
about this stat...
Hope this comes in handy for your gameplay experiences...
IV. DEFENSE 101
I started a thread on playing Defense in Madden way back and got tired of
looking at this FAQ thread without a more coherent overview regarding Defense.
If you have tips, bring it. If you know it all, stay away: this is for people
who like to share the knowledge. If you don't want to share, don't come here.
This is not for people who know everything already. No doubt n00bs will want
to know what works and what doesn't. I just want a place on the Mighty IGN
Madden NFL board where people can ask their questions and not feel like they
are stupid. Let me get this rolling with this:
Whether it's NCAA or Madden, I generally play Free Safety...
Pass Rush: few guarantees that the rush will be successful...
Linebacking: 50/50 proposition, I only play this when I know a run is in the
mix. Blitzing is risky...
Corner: only if I suspect a pass to one side or the other AND I can beat the
WR on single coverage with the covering CB...
Strong Safety: This position is usually filled by a pretty good athlete and
the AI does a good enough job in coverage taking him. I also stay away from
controlling him because that often means that the TE is left uncovered. The
Free Safety covers the Weakside RB and I'd rather make that trade off... At
Free Safety, I feel I have a better option to Cover Deep (because I'm already
deep), Double Cover the Strong Side WR (who usually is the best receiver on
the team), come up and play 4-4 (by filling an Inside LB slot if I want to
come up and do a Cover 3 alteration to the Defense), or Blitz (Weak Side, of
course)...
Maybe the same can be said for the Strong Safety but they usually don't call
the Strong Safety the Strong Safety unless he actually is Strong...
4-3 Defense Overview
The most common used defense in the NFL today, the 4-3 Defense is a good base
defense at stopping both the Run and the Pass. The defense is made up of 4
Defensive Linemen, 3 Linebackers and 4 Defensive Backs. Here's the general
overview of each defensive position in the 4-3 defense, their
responsibilities, strengths and weaknesses:
4 Defensive Linemen
Right Defensive End (RDE): Usually lines up on the Weak Side of defense (the
side without the Tight End) over the outside shoulder of the Left Tackle.
Rarely does he line up on the inside of the Left Tackle but that has it's
purposes, too. Generally is a better Pass rusher, but not as good as a Run
defender as LDE.
Left Defensive Tackle (LDT):
Lines up on the Weak Side over the Left Guard. Responsible for stopping the
run and putting pressure on QB up the middle and on the Weak Side. Generally
is smaller than the Strong Side Defensive Tackle.
Right Defensive Tackle (RDT):
Lines up over the Strong Side (the side with the Tight End next to a tackle)
over the Right Guard. Responsible for stopping the run and putting pressure on
QB up the middle and on the Strong Side. Generally is the teams best DT
overall.
Left Defensive End (LDE): Lines up on the Strong Side of the defense over the
outside shoulder of RT. Normally is a better a better Run defender, but not as
good a Pass rusher as RDE.
3 Linebackers
Right Outside Linebacker (ROLB): aka the WILLIE Linebacker, aka the Weak Side
Linebacker. Generally is the smallest and fastest of the 3 LBs. He normally
isn't the best tackler (Junior being the exception to this rule), but is the
best Pass Rushing and coverage LB of the 3LBs.
Middle Linebacker (MLB): Also known as the MIKE Linebacker. The MLB, at one
time, was called the Defensive Quarterback since this position usually called
the Defensive plays on the field. Generally, the best athlete among the
Linebackers and able to stop Pass and Run equally well. In Pass coverage, the
MLB will cover either the Halfback or Fullback if they release for a pass.
Left Outside Linebacker (LOLB): aka the SAM Linebacker, aka Strong Side
Linebacker. Generally opposes the Tight End when he releases from the LOS for
a pass. He's a bigger and physical than the ROLB. Generally a better Run
stopper, but not as good at the Blitz or Pass coverage as the LOLB.
4 Defensive Backs
Right/Left Cornerback (RCB/LCB): Normally the RCB is your top pass coverage
defensive back. RCB has speed, great hands (for a CB) and awareness. He's is
the one you want to put on the offenses top WR. In Madden normally it's the
Split End (who lines up on the Weak Side. The LCB covers the Flanker (who
lines up on the Right Side). CBs are normally not very good at Run Defense,
but there times when you may want to call CB Blitz to surprise the offense.
Free Safety (FS): aka Centerfield because he usually plays deep on defense.
Generally, the FS is faster than the SS and is better is Pass coverage, but is
not as good at Run Defense or Tackling.
Strong Safety (SS): He does not have as much speed, but is better at Tackling
and Run Defense than the FS. Uncommonly, the SS is used to stop the Run and
force offense to beat the defense with the Pass. Most Blitzes occur from the
SS position in the 4-3 Defense.
3-4 Defense Overview
The 3-4 Defense is a personnel based defense that emphasizes and features
Speed as its main weapon. This Defensive scheme uses 3 Linemen, 4 Linebackers
and 4 Defensive Backs. Last year, only the Pittsburgh Steelers used it
exclusively with tremendous success: they were also the only team with the
personnel capable of pulling off such a scheme. The 3-4 Defense will also work
for a team whose Linebackers are more capable than Defensive Linemen. The
Defensive Linemen are responsible for keeping Offensive Linemen occupied and
away from the Linebackers who generally end up making the plays on the ball.
The 3-4 Defense offers great pursuit off the Snap and is great at stopping the
Outside Run. You will also get good coverage in short passes, with extra LB.
Consequently, the 3-4 may lack something Inside Run since the Defensive Line
offers little pressure toward the Offense. Blitzing from several directions is
the counter to fill that hole and can add the necessary pressure to keep the
Offense honest and guessing.
3 Defensive Linemen
Right Defensive End (RDE): Usually lines up on the Weak Side of defense (the
side without the Tight End) over the outside shoulder of the Left Tackle.
Rarely does he line up on the inside of the Left Tackle but that has it's
purposes, too. Generally is a better Pass rusher, but not as good as a Run
defender as LDE.
Nose Tackle (NT): Lines up a straight across from C. Generally is good at
clogging up the middle, stopping the inside run and keep blockers off your
LBs.
Left Defensive End (LDE): Lines up on the Strong Side of the defense over the
outside shoulder of RT. Normally is a better a better Run defender, but not as
good a Pass rusher as RDE.
3 Linebackers
Right Outside Linebacker (ROLB): aka the WILLIE Linebacker, aka the Weak Side
Linebacker. Generally is the smallest and fastest of the 3 LBs. He normally
isn't the best tackler (Junior being the exception to this rule), but is the
best Pass Rushing and coverage LB of the 3LBs.
Right Inside Linebacker (RILB): aka the Weak Inside Linebacker. Lines up over
the Left Guard on weak side of defense. Usually No. 4 on depth chart for
Linebackers. Generally good at stopping the run.
Left Inside Linebacker (LILB): aka the Strong Inside Linebacker. Lines up over
Right Guard on strong side of defense. He is normally the leader of the
defense,and calls the plays in the defense huddle. He should be the best LB at
stopping the run on defense.
Left Outside Linebacker (LOLB): aka the SAM Linebacker, aka Strong Side
Linebacker. Generally opposes the Tight End when he releases from the LOS for
a pass. He's a bigger and physical than the ROLB. Generally a better Run
stopper, but not as good at the Blitz or Pass coverage as the LOLB.
4 Defensive Backs
Right/Left Cornerback (RCB/LCB): Normally the RCB is your top pass coverage
defensive back. RCB has speed, great hands (for a CB) and awareness. He's is
the one you want to put on the offenses top WR. In Madden normally it's the
Split End (who lines up on the Weak Side. The LCB covers the Flanker (who
lines up on the Right Side). CBs are normally not very good at Run Defense,
but there times when you may want to call CB Blitz to surprise the offense.
Free Safety (FS): aka Centerfield because he usually plays deep on defense.
Generally, the FS is faster than the SS and is better is Pass coverage, but is
not as good at Run Defense or Tackling.
Strong Safety (SS): He does not have as much speed, but is better at Tackling
and Run Defense than the FS. Uncommonly, the SS is used to stop the Run and
force offense to beat the defense with the Pass. Most Blitzes occur from the
SS position in the 4-3 Defense.
Nickel Defense Overview
Nickel Defense has 4 Defensive Linemen, 2 Linebackers and 5 Defensive Backs.
Nickel Defense is best used as a Pass Defense with limited Run Defense
capabilities. The Defensive Linemen pass rush. Linebackers are used more for
pass coverage in this scheme with an occasional Blitz here and there. The
Nickel Back is used to cover the third receiver in the field: either the Slot
Receiver or the Tight End. The Nickel Defense is best used when the offense
uses 3 WR (Wide Receiver), 4WR and 5 WR sets.
4 Defensive Linemen
Right Defensive End (RDE): Usually lines up on the Weak Side of defense (the
side without the Tight End) over the outside shoulder of the Left Tackle.
Rarely does he line up on the inside of the Left Tackle but that has it's
purposes, too. Generally is a better Pass rusher, but not as good as a Run
defender as LDE.
Left Defensive Tackle (LDT):
Lines up on the Weak Side over the Left Guard. Responsible for stopping the
run and putting pressure on QB up the middle and on the Weak Side. Generally
is smaller than the Strong Side Defensive Tackle.
Right Defensive Tackle (RDT):
Lines up over the Strong Side (the side with the Tight End next to a tackle)
over the Right Guard. Responsible for stopping the run and putting pressure on
QB up the middle and on the Strong Side. Generally is the teams best DT
overall.
Left Defensive End (LDE): Lines up on the Strong Side of the defense over the
outside shoulder of RT. Normally is a better a better Run defender, but not as
good a Pass rusher as RDE.
2 Linebackers
Right Outside Linebacker (ROLB): aka the WILLIE Linebacker, aka the Weak Side
Linebacker. Generally is among the fastest of the LBs and should be good at
Pass Coverage. Should cover the Halfback in Man to Man situations.
Left Outside Linebacker (LOLB): aka the SAM Linebacker, aka Strong Side
Linebacker. Generally is among the fastest of the LBs and should be good at
Pass Coverage. Should cover the Fullback in Man to Man situations.
4 Defensive Backs
Right/Left Cornerback (RCB/LCB): Normally the RCB is your top pass coverage
defensive back. RCB has speed, great hands (for a CB) and awareness. He's is
the one you want to put on the offenses top WR. In Madden normally it's the
Split End (who lines up on the Weak Side. The LCB covers the Flanker (who
lines up on the Right Side). CBs are normally not very good at Run Defense,
but there times when you may want to call CB Blitz to surprise the offense.
Free Safety (FS): aka Centerfield because he usually plays deep on defense.
Generally, the FS is faster than the SS and is better is Pass coverage, but is
not as good at Run Defense or Tackling.
Strong Safety (SS): He does not have as much speed, but is better at Tackling
and Run Defense than the FS. Uncommonly, the SS is used to stop the Run and
force offense to beat the defense with the Pass. Most Blitzes occur from the
SS position in the 4-3 Defense.
Nickel Back (NB): The 5th Defensive Back In this Defense, hence the names
Nickel Defense and Nickel Back. Generally the third best cornerback on the
team. Responsible for opposing the SL receiver or Tight End depending on the
offense that the Offense set on the field.
Dime Defense Overview
The Dime Defense uses one more Defensive Back than the Nickel Defense and puts
only one Linebacker on the field: in all, 4 Defensive Linemen, 1 Linebacker,
and 6 Defensive Backs are on the field. The Dime Defense offers the most Pass
Coverage of all the defenses and is most useful vs. 4WR and 5WR sets which
feature the Pass on Offense. Consequently, Run Defense is very limited when
the Dime Defense is in effect.
4 Defensive Linemen
Right Defensive End (RDE): Usually lines up on the Weak Side of defense (the
side without the Tight End) over the outside shoulder of the Left Tackle.
Rarely does he line up on the inside of the Left Tackle but that has it's
purposes, too. Generally is a better Pass rusher, but not as good as a Run
defender as LDE.
Left Defensive Tackle (LDT):
Lines up on the Weak Side over the Left Guard. Responsible for stopping the
run and putting pressure on QB up the middle and on the Weak Side. Generally
is smaller than the Strong Side Defensive Tackle.
Right Defensive Tackle (RDT):
Lines up over the Strong Side (the side with the Tight End next to a tackle)
over the Right Guard. Responsible for stopping the run and putting pressure on
QB up the middle and on the Strong Side. Generally is the teams best DT
overall.
Left Defensive End (LDE): Lines up on the Strong Side of the defense over the
outside shoulder of RT. Normally is a better a better Run defender, but not as
good a Pass rusher as RDE.
1 Linebacker
Middle Linebacker (MLB): Should be the best all around LB on the team.
6 Defensive Backs
Right/Left Cornerback (RCB/LCB): Normally the RCB is your top pass coverage
defensive back. RCB has speed, great hands (for a CB) and awareness. He's is
the one you want to put on the offenses top WR. In Madden normally it's the
Split End (who lines up on the Weak Side. The LCB covers the Flanker (who
lines up on the Right Side). CBs are normally not very good at Run Defense,
but there times when you may want to call CB Blitz to surprise the offense.
Free Safety (FS): aka Centerfield because he usually plays deep on defense.
Generally, the FS is faster than the SS and is better is Pass coverage, but is
not as good at Run Defense or Tackling.
Strong Safety (SS): He does not have as much speed, but is better at Tackling
and Run Defense than the FS. Uncommonly, the SS is used to stop the Run and
force offense to beat the defense with the Pass. Most Blitzes occur from the
SS position in the 4-3 Defense.
Dime Defensive Back 1 and 2 (DDB): Generally No. 3 and No. 4 on the team's
depth chart. Responsible for opposing the added receivers in the Offensive
sets (i.e. 4WR and 5WR sets). When the offense uses more traditional sets,
these two Defensive Backs become Linebackers, often with stat penalties
assessed due to playing out of position.
HIT STICK
Designated as R3 on the PS2 controller, the Hit Stick is the new devastating
defensive innovation in the game. You can cause everything from a completely
uninspired whiff on a tackle to bone crushing, fumble causing collisions that
send would be runners to the hospital for a very long time. Inspired by the
defensive play expressed on the field by great defenders like Madden 2005
cover boy Ray Lewis, the Hit Stick is a high risk/high reward move that gives
the Defense an option to exercise in light of last year's innovation in
Offensive prowess, the Gamebreaker. Finally, the Defense has an equalizer...
Using the Hit Stick, however, is not without its drawbacks. You don't always
want to use it even if you have players lined up for the crushing blow. And
much of the outcome has to do with player skill, weight, toughness, resistance
to injury and strength. Some positions just generally do not fair well using
the Hit Stick and should be avoided all together. I've concocted a guideline
that gives you a general idea of who to use the Hit Stick on given the
position that might be lined up for the blow. Remember, this is just a
generalization and should not be taken verbatim per situation; many of the
factors I listed previously have a lot to say about the outcome. Here's the
guideline:
DT/DE vs...
OL = OK
TE = OK
WR = OK
FB = OK
HB = OK
QB = OK
LB vs...
OL = Not suggested...
TE = Not suggested...
WR = OK
FB = OK
HB = OK
QB = OK
CB vs...
OL = No way...
TE = No way...
WR = OK
FB = Not suggested...
HB = Not suggested...
QB = OK
SS/FS vs...
OL = No way...
TE = Not suggested...
WR = OK
FB = OK
HB = OK
QB = OK
The above is based on a conservative assessment of the risk that we assume in
making this move (i.e. whiffing, missing the tackle, possible injury to
tackling player, or the opponent scoring) vs. the reward for making the play
(i.e. tackling the opponent, knocking out the opponent, breaking up the play
or causing a turnover). Each case will be different based on a variety of
factors inherent to the players involved. The "No way" assessment generally
means that the possible tackling party assumes a greater risk to himself and
team if going against the aforementioned ball carrier. The "Not suggested"
designation should be taken to mean that the possible tackling party assumes a
smaller risk to himself and team if going against the aforementioned ball
carrier but is quite likely to lose the matchup if the hitstick is employed.
Now, that might be a lot to process in the span of a play but, if you can keep
your head about you during that play, it can mean the difference of keeping or
losing that shutdown corner you will need later in the game.
General Defensive Philosophies
Play Man-to-Man defenses against the Pass.
Play Zone defenses against the Run.
Discipline is key to winning the defensive battle: don't blitz any position
that is not supposed to be on that assignment. You'll leave holes that will
ALWAYS be exploited by the CPU.
Don't expect to shut down the offense: A good offense can produce against a
good defense. Your role is to limit their production and make them earn their
yardage. Their is no one play is going to stop the run or pass 100% of the
time. Showing different looks and anticipating your opponent will help you
defuse their offense.
Field Position: Field position is more of a factor in planning your strategy.
One philosophy is the "Bend But Don't Break" philosophy. The belief behind
that is that an offense can not march 80 yards every drive without it
stalling. Somewhere along the drive their will be a stop, incompletion,
penalty or a turnover.
Contain, contain, contain: Don't give up the big play. Make sure that when you
dive at a ball carrier, you have other players to back you up. It ok to give
up a first down instead of the touchdown.
Learn his tendencies: Does he tend to run out of a certain formation? Pass out
of a certain formation? Does he always pass on third and long? Does he always
run on third and short? Does he run or pass on first down? Does he throw deep
or does he use a ball control passing attack? Does he run inside or outside?
Ask yourself these questions and others. Scout and know your opponent.
Know your opponents strengths and weakness: Does he have a weak or strong
passing game? You may be able to put eight men in the box or you may have to
play more pass defense. Is the running game strong or weak? How does he handle
blitzes? Who is their weakest offensive lineman? You may want to exploit and
attack their weaknesses.
Take away his primary weapon: Taking away your opponents big guns forces them
to go to plan B or may just take them out of their game plan. If they are
going to beat you, let them beat you with their secondary game plan. Double
the favorite receiver(s) a lot.
Show different looks: If you stick to a pattern defense, a good offensive
coordinator will find the weakness in your defense and exploit it. Keep the
offense confused and guessing. I suggest using several base defense that are
solid, cover well and don't leave you open, mixed in with a couple of well
timed blitzes.
Pressure the QB: A hurried passer is not an accurate passer. If your front
four are not generating a pass rush, consider blitzing one or two linebackers.
Defensive Line Play: Before you go mashing buttons when the ball is hiked,
determine whether it is a run or a pass. If you bull rush you way into the
backfield on a run, you might just blow past the ball carrier and give him a
nice hole to go through. On running plays, what you want to do with your
linemen is to clog the lanes and shut off the gaps.
Games Linemen Play: Shift your defensive line before the ball is snap to
confuse the offensive linemen. Drop a linemen into coverage. Pull a linemen
out of his normal position and rush him from another spot. Make a custom play
with linemen doing crazy drops and stunts. GO CRAZY with your defensive
linemen.
Change your rush: Don't fall into a set pass rushing pattern. On one play,
bull rush, the next play swim move, the next rush to the outside, the next
rush to the inside. Keep the offensive linemen guessing. Be ready to rush the
QB when the ball is snapped. The better jump that you get, the better chance
you have of getting into the backfield and making something happen.
Mismatch: Put your best defensive linemen over the weakest offensive linemen.
You will be in the backfield all day.
Madden Tips
These Defensive Tips were found on the Official Madden NFL 2001 and 2002 (PS2
version) sites published by EA Sports plus one I found useful for Madden:
Kick your kickoff with a higher trajectory on the kickoff. This type of kick
can give your team that extra second or two to get down field to prevent Big
returns.
NOTE: Higher Kick have less Distance on them.
Use defensive coverage audibles to put your players into a better position to
cover their man (/\, then X). This is very useful for linebackers assigned to
slot receivers.
On Defense, use the bump-and-run coverage if you are getting beat are short
passing routes. To do this press /\ to call a coverage audible and [] to bring
up the defensive backs
On Defense, if you take control of a linebacker or defensive back, make sure
you know your responsibility. You do not want to blitz with your defender if
you are suppose to cover a receiver, running back or tight end. On Defense, if
you are in one-on-one coverage with no help, try tipping the pass (L1 or R1)
instead of going for the interception (/\).
Press Select to call a quick Timeout.
Cycle through your Defensive backs coverage style (/\ then []) move them up
into a Bump-and-Run Defense. Or move them off the receivers for loose coverage
(/\ then O). Some times tight coverage is needed to get a better play on the
ball (/\ then X).
Strip the ball away from your opponent by pressing (L2 or R2 during play)
while running into or tackling the ball instead of the tackle can leave you
empty handed.
If you are getting beat by Quick Outs and INS, short slants, or Route based
passes, shift your defense coverage to Bump-and-Run, this should allow the
defensive backs to disrupt the receivers route long enough to break up the
play.
If you are getting beat deep or are defending a third and long situation,
shift your defense into a loose coverage, the extra cushion should be enough
to allow your defensive backs to hold the offense to short yardage.
Run a Nickel - Double slot to put an extra man on the slot receiver if the
offense uses him too often.
Know your audibles! A good variety of formations and styles can be key to
adjusting your defense without having to change your personnel. You can
audible your defensive play call by pressing [], and then [], X, O, (R1),
(L1), or (L2) (/\ reverts to the original play).
Shift the defensive line to the left or right to give your team the jump on a
run play, you can also use this to attack a weaker side of the offensive live
Press (L2 or R2) before the snap to cycle through the shifts.
Strafe (R1): use this when you are in coverage and close to the receiver. It
will line your defender up with the pass better and will raise your chances to
Intercept the pass.
While on defense, press (select) to call a timeout on the field without having
to pause the game.
Pump the home crowd up by pressing (L3) at the line of scrimmage, but only if
the player is not down in a three point stance.
If the offense is ignoring certain players or a particular side of the field,
take advantage of it, run blitzes with linebackers, cornerbacks, or the safety
from the side of the field, mix it up to keep the offensive guessing.
Run a Dime - Double Wide when your concerned about the offense's passing game.
This puts a Double Team on the two wide outs in a normal offensive set.
Take advantage of your personnel when you outmatch the offense, use a lot of
Man-to-Man defenses to help keep offensive players from "sneaking" through or
flooding a zone defense.
Use zone defenses to prevent player mismatches, defenders who can not stay
with their man (I.E.- linebackers on premier running backs or cornerbacks on
premier wide receivers) step for step will be able to pass them off to the
defender in the next zone.
Defense Notes
These are just some notes I've put together regarding some of the formations
and the specific assignments. It is by no means complete but I thought it
would be useful to the 101 class. Call it a work in progress. Hope it helps...
Defense: 4-3/Man Lock
Notes: THE standard front for lots of defenses, this one works even better in
the hands of the NFL's best. Pull a DT hat on the Center to provide clearance
for the blitzing OLB. Then take control of the MLB. You have a choice here:
pressure to the QB up the middle or drop into coverage and LE and LDT take
care of business by themselves. Or select the ROLB (the left LB on the TV
screen) and blitz him everytime manually in these 3 plays. Position him
between the right DE and right DT and speed through. Stuffs run blitzes on
first down. If your club is less talented than the default Ravens or Dolphins,
pressure the QB or cover the left side. Strengths: 5-man rush that can occur
on either side of the ball. Guards against the flood play. Provides good
coverage deep. Good vs. short yardage plays.
Weaknesses: Relies on match-ups and better personnel than your opponent. If
you haven't done your research then 4-3/Man Lock will prove to be your
downfall. Can be susseptible to the Run.
Defense: 4-3/Crash
Notes: Stuffs run. Man coverage underneath, Zone on top.
Defense: 4-3/Under Four
Notes: A good defensive set to use to shore up the quickness of Speed HB to
the outside. This will cover the middle of the field and scatter enough
linebackers to shut down the outside run.
Defense: 4-3/Whip Man
Notes: If you have a very talented MLB with good SPD and ACC, you can exploit
the O Line with this Blitz. Do not select the MLB here. Take the DT and move
the center, giving the MLB a straight shot to the QB. Even if he doesn't get a
sack, he'll force the action, allowing another player to get free and harass
and causing the quarterback to throw early. Use the 4-3 Whip Man and move your
linebackers to the left (L1) to really put the pressure on. Strengths: Good
pressuring blitz especially if you have a speedy LB. Whip Man is good to call
because it stuffs the left side and puts heavy pressure on the QB.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable on the blitzing side to the Flat or Screen play. OLB
coverage is minimized and starts on the far side of this blitz.
Defense: 4-3/Double X
Notes: The X receiver is on the left side of the TV screen. Use this formation
to crowd the line of scrimmage, and control one of the linebackers to clean up
the scraps in case the HB gets past your D-Line.
Strengths: Good vs. short yardage plays.
Defense: 4-3/Double Z
Notes: The Z receiver is on the right side of the TV screen. Use this
formation to crowd the line of scrimmage, and control one of the linebackers
to clean up the scraps in case the HB gets past your D-Line.
Strengths: Good vs. short yardage plays.
Defense: 4-3/Strong Zone
Notes: Exploits weak offenses. Need to pressure QB to force bad passes by
manually selecting and blitzing with the middle linebacker. Select the ROLB
(the left LB on the TV screen) and blitz him everytime manually in these 3
plays. Position him between the right DE and right DT and speed through.
Strengths:
Weakness: Vulnerable to Flood and Overload plays.
Defense: 4-3/Under Four
Notes: This will cover the middle of the field and scatter enough linebackers
to shut down the outside run. Shores up against quick HBs who love to run to
the outside.
Strengths: Stops sweeps and tosses.
Defense: Nickel/Cover 4
Notes: Select the ROLB (the left LB on the TV screen) and blitz him everytime
manually in these 3 plays. Position him between the right DE and right DT and
speed through. This works extremly well in the nickel cover 4 package. Need
strong ROLB like Junior to pull it off right.
Defense: Nickel/LB Blitz
Notes: This is an effective defense for almost any situation. It puts great
pressure on the QB and provides decent coverage, plus it ensures that the
speedy and fundamentally sound DBs will be on the field. On longer plays (and
on first down), call a Nickel LB Blitz. This will put your fastest players on
the field and put pressure on a good balanced offense, which is about the only
way to make the QB throw a bad pass. If you call the play w/o flipping it, the
Linbacker on the left side of your screen is coming on a blitz. Take the other
linbacker, that would be the one on the right side of the screen, and move him
up to the line of scrimmage. When the offense hikes the ball your Left
Defensive End will get a free shot at the QB. NOW the LB that you control on
the line DOES NOT HAVE TO RUSH THE QB to make it work, after the snap he can
fall back into coverage or rush, its up to you. This gets the ROLB directly
involved in the action. Pull the defensive end out slightly to stretch the
defense and provide a bigger hole for the ROLB to charge through. Then control
the middle linebacker and let the ROLB run his mission by himself. There are
very few players in the league who can contain a good ROLB like Junior, so if
you have him, he'll get a direct shot at the QB. Luckily, this play also
covers the rest of the field quite well. Strengths: Applies all kinds of
pressure to the receivers to get open.
Weaknesses: Needs fast DBs to keep up with QB and allow D Line to get to the
QB.
Defense: Dime/Double Wide
Notes: Double covered the X receiver (left side of the TV Screen). The more
hats you throw on him, the harder it will be for him to snag the big play. Be
wary of anything coming across the field or out of the backfield.
Defense: Nickel/LB Blitz
Notes: Now in the nickel package you 4 down linemen and then 2 LBs. If you
call the play w/o flipping it, the Linebacker on the left side of your screen
is coming on a blitz. Take the other linebacker on the right side of the
screen, and move him up to the line of scrimmage. When the offense hikes the
ball your LEFT DEFENSIVE END, will come free and have a clear shot at the QB.
The LB that you move up to the line DOESN'T HAVE TO RUSH THE QB to make it
work, after the snap he can fall back into coverage or rush, its up to you.
Defense: Nickel/Sliver
Notes: Move both your DTs over one spot towards the right side of the screen.
If you want, you can bring the coverage into bump and run (Triangle, Square)
and better position (Triangle, X).
Maximizing Defensive Line Gameplay:
Here's some suggestions:
Mini-Camp
Some think it's a little arcady; I think it's helpful and rewarding. If you
succeed all the way through All-Madden, you'll be able to handle the
opposition with greater ease. Now do those Trench Fight drills and game
situations and get awesome...
Adjust the AI Sliders
EASports always says: If it's in the game, it's in the game! I say: if you
bought whole game, enjoy the whole game. That means you can make the game as
easy or as difficult as you want and, as long as you're having fun and not
hurting anybody, no one can tell what to do...
About those Sliders, make them easier for yourself. You don't have to play
with the default/in the middle sliders. Take them way down to the bottom for
the CPU if you have to so you can get a Pass rush and get that baggie. If that
get's too easy then bring them up gradually until they are set to where you
like them. Do you want to give your players a boost without Madden Cards?
Raise everything up all the way for your Human Sliders. The adjust them
downward after you've raped the opponent to your liking...
Practice Mode
Practice makes perfect.
OK, maybe not in the NFL but you know what I mean. Unless you go into Practice
mode and work with your Defense, how are you going to get better? Work it,
baby...
Expand Your Defensive Moves: Stunt
Here's the Basics list for DLine play:
X: Switch to the defender that's nearest to the ball
O: Power Tackle/Speed Burst
/\: Jump
[]: Dive
R1: Swim/Rip/Strip Ball Right
R2: Spin Right
L1: Swim/Rip/Strip Ball Left
L2: Spin Right
The word of the day is Stunt. It means that the DE and the DT run a crossing
pattern in front of the Guard and Tackle of the Oline. If you run this
smoothly and tightly using your DE, you can get the Guard and Tackle to hang
each other up and have them block only the DT, leaving the DE a free and
unabated path to the QB. Doing this can cause confusion on the OLine. Yes, AWR
is big here: so check personnel on the other side of the ball and put your
fastest (SPD) and smartest (AWR) DE and DT in front of their slowest and
dumbest counterparts and run a Stunt. It's possible for the mouse to get some
cheese every once in a while...
Try running a stunt with your defensive tackles. Try positioning your OLBs
between the DTs and DEs and do a bull rush to the outside with the DE (that's
O if you're playing at home). The next time try a Rip or Swim. Try again with
a Spin followed by a Rip. Do that same thing but run a stunt and see what that
does. Prior to the snap reposition the DLine and see what that does and then
run a stunt using that formation. Etc., etc., ad infinitum...
Madden Cards
You might laugh but, like I said: if you bought whole game, enjoy the whole
game. And EASports put it in the game, so why not? You paid for it! ust
remember that it's not going to help your online play one bit. Learn to play
without the cards if you're a serious league or online player...
V. OFFENSE 101
"Offense wins games": that's the old sports mantra that is recited before
every big game. Getting into the ball in the end zone. It sounds simple but it
can be difficult to do. The Defense is doing everything it can to keep you
out. So you need to understand your Offense well enough to take advantage weak
points in the Defense to accomplish your goal...
STYLES OF PLAY: THE OFFENSE RETROSPECTIVE
There are only two things you can do with the football on offense: throw it or
run with it. Through throwing and running the ball, several theories,
philosophies and styles of play have developed regarding the best ways to play
the game. Teams can set up in a variety of formations and there are various
philosophies that have worked to create champion teams. Some of those same
philosophies have also failed on other teams.
One of the oldest football philosophies is called Smash Mouth: this is a style
that believes in winning by establishing a strong Running game. Working this
relies on a powerful running game, with All-Pro Running Backs. The idea behind
this style is that a Running game takes off time on the clock because the
clock does not stop between plays. The less time you leave for your opponent
to play Offense = less time to establish rhythm in his game plan and increases
the likelihood of mistakes. Remember: an incomplete pass results in the clock
stopping automatically (generally, 50% of all passes are incomplete). If you
have the lead and have a shaky defense, or if you just want to punish your
opponent by taking away time on the clock, it is time to use this style of
play. By using the style you can run the clock down and keep your opponent's
offense off the field. In one of the greatest championships ever played, Coach
Bill Parcells used a similar style of offense with the Giants that wore down
the highly favored Buffalo Bills to win Super Bowl XXV...
The now dead Run and Shoot Offense. This is a highly offensive style geared
towards using the WR's as its major weapons of attack and relies on the Pass
to achieve success. This style of attack makes little use of the Running game.
This offense lines up four wide receivers, one running back, and no tight end.
Although similar in philosophy to the West Coast Offense, the run and shoot is
more dependent on the pass. No team using the Run and Shoot Offense has ever
won a Super Bowl.
The state of the art offensive style in today's NFL is the West Coast Offense.
Coach Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers and Stanford Indians made this
style of offense popular which started in Bay Area which is where it gets its
the name. The West Coast Offense uses a short controlled passing game. Why Run
the ball if a Pass will gain you as much yardage? This style of offense also
serves to confuse. Why Pass if your opponent suspects it? Smart players with
great hands are a must in this system. It also features a finesse game using a
lot sweeps and zone plays. Routes of receivers are dictated by reads made at
the line. Most routes are short, easy completions. Slants and quick Ins and
Outs are the diet of this offense. Running backs become a major targets on
Swings, Screens and Flat plays. Many Super Bowl champs have used the West
Coast Offense. Note that the West Coast Offense does not have to be run on the
west coast: the Green Bay Packers, playing in the coldest city in the Northern
US, won Super Bowl XXXI using this philosophy...
The Vertical Attack or Vertical Offense is a philosophy in which the coaching
staff is so confident in its quarterback and wide receivers that they are
willing to go for much longer, and riskier, passes than normally employed by
either the West Coast Offense, or the Run and Shoot. One of the most famous
teams to employ this style of play was Coach Don Coryell of the San Diego
Chargers in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Coach Coryell had Dan Fouts as his
quarterback and he let Fouts wing it to a set of ALL STAR receivers, including
tight end Kellen Winslow, and wide receivers Wes Chandler, John Jefferson, and
Charlie Joiner. While they never won the whole enchilada, the Bolts were still
the one of the most exciting teams of the era and went to the AFC Championship
game in 1981. The Raider teams of the 70s and 80s also used a similar style of
Offense.
Smash Mouth: 3-6 Yards/Play
West Coast Offense: 7-10 Yards/Play
Run and Shoot: 7-15 Yards/Play
Vertical Attack: 15-25 Yards/Play
FORMATIONS
I-Form
This is the Vanilla offensive set: in this formation, the halfback and
fullback line up directly behind the quarterback, forming an "I." Both Wide
Receivers set up on opposite sides of the line. The I-Form is a great for
Running formation since the fullback usually provides a lead block for the
Halfback. With the HB being the furthest from the line of scrimmage, this
gives the HB the best possible advantage to see the holes in the line when
they open up. Because of it's inherent Running capabilities, the I-Formation
also lends itself well to Play Action options which can freeze the Defense and
open up the field in the process.
Normal: The standard I. It has a wide out on the left, a tight end on the
right end of the right tackle and another receiver to the right flanked. You
can run or pass effectively out of this formation in short or medium yardage
situations. You need to run the ball well to set up the play-action pass.
Don't use this formation in obvious passing situations.
Single Back
The singleback formation is balanced for the run and pass. One back (usually
the halfback) lines up five yards behind the QB. This leaves one tight end and
several receivers to catch passes. The singleback formation is versatile, but
what you do with it depends on your personnel and the version of it you
select. If you have a speedy back, you may want to run sweep and toss running
plays out of this formation, because one of its main characteristics is that
it spreads the field. If your back doesn't have the wheels, keep him in the
backfield to protect the QB as he passes.
Split Backs
Split Backs is one of the most versatile sets in the game. Two running backs
are in a split formation in the backfield. A receiver lines up in the slot to
the right, along with a tight end. One wide out lines up on the left. Run or
pass out of this formation, according to your team's strengths. If you have
speedy receivers, heave it up top. If you have a quick back, run outside.
Shotgun
The shotgun formation is primarily used for passing. The QB takes a couple of
steps back off the line and the ball is snapped back to him. The extra
distance gives him a chance to survey the field and read the defense before
dishing the ball.
Goal Line
Goal line formations are designed for short yardage. More often than not,
you'll be running this formation when you need to pick up a couple of inches
or maybe a yard. There is massive run support and protection, with two tight
ends, a fullback and only one receiver.
*From this point to the next rule marker, I'm putting it out there for
discussion. A lot of it is just jotted down real quick and there may even be
parts missing in a discussion of what should be basic knowledge for you and I,
the players...
OFFENSE: PRE-GAME PREP AND PRE-SNAP CHECKLIST
This is an overview for my pre-Game preparation and pre-Snap checklist. Maybe
this will be helpful for you, too. I do these things when I'm working and
practicing my offense in Practice or Game mode: Understand your personnel.
Know who's doing what and what they are capable of doing. Running to the
outside with Jerome Bettis is wasteful. Running between the tackles with
LaDainian Tomlinson is equally useless...
Know your playbook
If you want to be a gunslinger and shoot from the hip all the time, that's
your business. But if you want to be a sharpshooter and know how to jack with
the Defense to the greatest degree, take the time to study the plays and know
how they are executed. So get in Practice mode and work it, baby. If you want
to get nerdy about it, test the limits of the play. If the play is designed
for an inside run, find out how much you can do if you decide to go outside.
If the play is meant to go right, take it to the left and see what can happen.
You might surprise yourself along with your opponent...
Offensive Audibles 101
I personally like the idea of audibling out of one formation. To me, that
gives the most room for deception and affords the most opportunity to exploit
the deficiencies I can find in the defense. My favorite formations to audible
out of are the Single Back/4 WR and the Shotgun/4 WR. Unless I'm running a
team like this year's the Rams, 49ers or the Colts, I feel the need for more
movement on the field than for blocking. I'll use the HB for the extra rush
stopper if necessary plus he usually is the best runner on the team. The 4th
WR also usually has a better CTH than the FB. That's why I go with these
sets...
Deciding the Set Up for the controller is interesting. I tried to make sense
of the preset audibles that we were given by EASports and couldn't make sense
of them for my scheme. Thanks to them we all had to come up with our own
madness. Deciding what to do is one thing; deciding how to organize it on the
controller is what this article is about. Everyone has their own style and set
of reasoning. My general designations go like this:
L1 = Inside Run
R1 = Outside Run
O = Pass into a Flood or Overload
X = Pass into a Deep Route
[] = Pass into Slants, Flats or Screen
Make the Call
OK, you gotten the Kick Return to a decent spot on the field and you're ready
to take it down field. Have an idea of what series of plays you want to run.
Most folks like to make it up as they go along. Others have a few plays they
keep in their head and take it from there. I know some guys like Makaveli that
take it to the next level: they script the first 15-25 plays they will run in
a game. Deep, huh? Well, that's exactly the way that the big boys do it in the
NFL and it actually makes sense to do it here. There are no surprises on your
end, you're not losing any time in making a decision and you have a chance to
develop a rhythm to your playcalling and playmaking abilities. Also playing
and throwing in rhythm is key to winning. One more note: get to the LOS with
at least 15 seconds to spare...
Hot Routes
You have to know these if you want to maximize your potential in a Passing
situation. You'll use these to exploit the coverage you see the Defense in.
I'll explain more in the next section. This is from the TE position on the
right side of LOS using the D-Pad:
Up = Fly or Go Route
Left = In Route
Right = Out Route
Down = Hook
R2 = Slant Right
L2 = Slant Left
Expose the Defense
OK, you've called your play at the LOS. You know what you want to do. Remember
that you need to get to the LOS with at least 15 seconds to spare. Now you get
to know why. You want to see what the Defense will let you have. L1 will let
you take a look over the Defensive set. 4-3? Vanilla Defense: balanced and
generally conservative. 3-4? Good against Pass/not so good against Run. 46?
Good against Run/ not so good against deeper Passes. You get the picture. You
can do all of that in less than 5 seconds...
Motion
Let's expose the Defense even further. You have at least 10 seconds left so
put a player in motion. I usually send one of the WRs to the other side. If
the DB follows, you know your opponent is playing Man Defense so you want to
get the ball to the player you know has the best personnel mismatch. If the DB
doesn't follow, you know your opponent is playing Zone Defense so you'll want
to call a Flood to one side and hit the open man that way. I often use the Hot
Routes to turn the Pass plays into Flood plays. You can also create a Drag
play where two receivers in a similar route area split their routes. If you
Pump Fake (R2) when one receiver breaks off in his pattern, one or both of the
DBs will bite on the play and leave one receiver open. Hit that open man and
run to Pay Dirt...Generally, I don't believe in Money Plays. I believe in
creating the Money Situation and making a Money Play through that. Of what I
have seen in Madden these last three years, there is an answer to every play
on both sides of the ball. I'm still working to find a play that just
devastates in any situation but so far I have not. There used to be killer
plays like Dime - Double Slot in Madden 2000 for PSX which featured the only
stunt in the game but it got quite abusive. I like the present system because
it feels more real and the outcomes are less predictable...
Running 101
Controls
L1 = Juke Left
R1 = Juke Right
L2 = Stiff Arm Left
R2 = Stiff Arm Right
/\ = Cover Ball
[] = Dive/Slide
O = Spin
X = Turbo/Run Faster
Juking
I like the Juke better than last year. I always thought the Killer Juke was in
Madden 2000. Apply the Juke about 3-5 yards away from the Defender for best
results. Any sooner and it will mean very little. Any later and it will
usually result in being tackled...
Stiff Arm
Stiff Arming actually has two uses. Firstly, it aids the Runner by helping to
avoid tackles using the Runner's free arm to beat back Defenders. Secondly,
yet as important, it changes the location of the football on the Runner. "Big
deal", you say? It is when you've run for 40 yards only to have the ball
stripped before you reach Pay Dirt! And look: only you have gone onward toward
the Promised Land while the rest of your team decided to spectate during your
fumble. Only the opposite team is likely to pick up that loose ball now.
Execute this move when 2-4 yards away from the Defender...
Cover Ball
Runners now can put both their hands on the ball and protect it like it's
their baby instead of doing a flying leap like they used to. I mean, that's
why we have a Dive button, right? Nice advancement in the running game. It's
perfect for those big Fullbacks and Tight Ends who catch one down field and
want to fend off those strip artists...
Dive/Slide
The dramatic move button: Diving/Sliding is good for 2-3 extra yards if you
are faced perpendicular to the LOS. Sliding is for QBs only but it must be
done 3-5 yards before a Defender gets to the QB or it becomes a Dive. Note:
Diving with a QB can cause injury to the QB. Try not to do it too often...
Spin
Unlike Juking and Sliding, Spinning seems to be more precise in that the move
should be made 2-3 yards from the Defender. Spinning has become an disciplined
art in Madden. Spin with the joystick pointed to the Left and the Runner will
Spin and end up pointed to the Right. Spin with the joystick pointed to the
Right and the Runner will Spin and end up pointed to the Left. Learn to use
that to your advantage. It's tougher to use this to your advantage than you
would expect it to be...
Turbo/Run Faster
Almost everyone knows that X will make the Runner run faster. It takes
discipline not to go to this too early because there are only a couple of
opportunities to use this boost of speed and power during any play. I
personally like to save this for when the Runner is in the open or when a
Defender is too close to Juke or Stiff Arm. Then again, that would also depend
on the Runner...
OFFENSIVE TACTICS
Know Your Downs
This sub-section is primarily intended for those who are fairly new to
football. If you're confused about generally what to do on each down, here's a
rundown:
First Down: The sky's the limit. Since you have three downs to follow, this
down is all about testing the waters, and seeing what works... especially
early in the game. You want to gain some yards on first down so second and
third are easier, but first down is also a good place to take a shot
downfield, as there is little risk.Second Down: Depending on what you did on
first down, this down can mean different things. If you only have a couple of
yards left to go, you can try to pound ahead and try to pick up the extra on
the ground. Or, to be crafty, on second and short, go deep, because you won't
have much left to gain if the pass falls incomplete. On second and long, it's
time to get some positive yardage. Usually this is a passing situation, as you
want to pick up as many yards as possible to either get a first down or make
third down easier. Crossing routes and outs are great to pick up first down-
size chunks of yardage (8-10 yards or more).Third Down: This is do or die
time. You have to get past the marker, or you'll have a grave decision coming
up next play. If you have really short yardage to go, load up the line and try
to muscle ahead with a run. On inches situations, it's always best to do a QB
Sneak to pick up the required yards. If you have third and medium (5-7 yards),
throw a pass to someone crossing or running an out pattern. Unless you've got
a guy in single coverage, it's not wise to try to go really deep in this
situation. Choose a play with lots of passing options, and make sure that the
routes all go beyond the first down yardage marker. In third and long, you
might just have to drop back and heave it. Try to call a play that spreads the
field and puts your squad in single coverage, because you stand a better
chance of completing a long pass that way. If you are deep in your own end and
not too far behind, you may want to play it safe and not risk interception.
You can always punt if you're ahead or it's early in the game. Fourth Down:
Unless you are trailing, or deep in your opponent's territory, you'll probably
want to punt on fourth. If you absolutely, positively need a first down,
follow the rules of third down, but be extra careful with where you pass it.
If it's fourth and extremely short, you may want to consider a power run or
sneak.
Effective Passing
To have an effective passing game, you need a few things to go right. First
off, you need to call the right play. Our Teams page has suggestions for
decent all-around plays for every NFL team. Just click on the team to take you
to its page.
After you've selected the right play, you need to know what the defense has
called. What formation are they in? One quick way to determine what the
defense thinks you're going to do is to count the players on the line and
those in the backfield. If there is an even dispersal of players around the
field, they are probably in a basic 4-3. If they've got more guys on the line,
they're stacking up against the run. If they've got a bunch of players hanging
10 yards behind the line, they think you're going to pass.
The next thing to determine is what kind of coverage the D is running. One
thing that will tell you this is how they line up. If all of the DBs and
linebackers line up opposite a man, it's pretty likely that they're in man
coverage. This means each player on the field will be covered by his own
defender. You're looking for your best receivers to match up in man coverage,
because the potential for mismatches is there. If the opposing team looks to
be leaving certain receivers alone (they aren't usually, it just looks that
way), it's likely they're in zone. In zone coverage, you'll be looking to pass
between players covering a specific area of the field. One great way to check
what the coverage is is to send a man in motion. If a player follows him
across the field, it's almost certain the other team is in man. Knowing the
coverage before you snap can give you a good idea of who you might throw to,
making the decision making process that much quicker.
Beyond that, you can tell if a team is going to blitz by watching the motion
of their linebackers and safeties just before the snap (if they're creeping
toward the line, you're in trouble). If you sense a blitz, you can audible to
something else, try to pick it up by changing a running back's assignment, or
try to avoid it once the ball is snapped. Each of these is viable options, but
you have to execute.
Once the ball is snapped, you need good protection or good mobility. Know your
quarterback. Again, take a look at the Teams page to see which QB is a
superstar on the rollout, and which should stay cemented in the pocket.
If you have good protection, scan the field for options. If your best receiver
is in single coverage, he's always your first read. Otherwise, just look for
the guy that has separated himself from the defenders. Don't throw into double
and triple coverage just to get the ball to your favorite guy. Take a look at
the whole field, then deliver the ball.
Look for backs coming out of the backfield. Madden has always favored
receiving backs, and this year is no different. They'll often come out late
and be open in the flat or up the sidelines. Tight ends are also crucial to
your attack. Really good ones (like Tony Gonzalez) will create mismatches with
most linebackers in the league, and can often be found wide open.
When it's time to actually throw, remember that you can put different touch on
the ball according to how you press the button. If you know a player is only
going to be open for a split second, and need to get it there in a hurry,
whale on the button to deliver a laser beam. If you want to lead a receiver
deep, or toss over a linebacker, a softer touch is required. Passing touch is
a matter of practice and timing. Go to Practice or Mini-camp modes to get a
good feel for how passing works in the game.
Effective Running
Effective running is about good play-calling, good blocking, and being patient
enough to let blocks develop.
It is important to vary your running plays throughout the game so that the
defense can't stack up on you every down. You might go inside twice in a row,
then run a Weak Counter as a change of pace. If you can get an opponent
(especially a human opponent) expecting one thing, and then change them up, it
can lead to big yardage for you and yours.
Know your back's strengths. If you are playing as Mike Allstot, you know he's
a bowling ball that can go inside and shrug off tacklers. But if you're
playing as Quentin Griffin, you know yours is more a speed and finesse game.
Tailor your plays to the back's strengths. Pounding Tiki Barber inside
probably won't yield anything. But banging away with Priest Holmes probably
will.
Don't charge straight ahead. Take time and let the blocks happen in front of
you. There's nothing worse than sprinting ahead of your fullback and getting
tackled when he's about to pick up the very guy who tackled you. On the flip
side, you'll need to make a fast decision when you know the play is breaking
down. Unless you see daylight in the hole a split second after the fullback
goes through, cut outside and try to get something going there.
Know your special moves. Memorize the buttons for stiff arm and juke, and use
them. They are super helpful in gaining those last tough yards you may need to
pick up a first down. Don't use alternating stiff arms too much (right then
left), or you could end up fumbling.
For extra help in the running game, send a tight or fullback in motion to the
side you're running to. He may be able to pick up that one extra defender who
was aiming to tackle you. To set someone in motion, press down until you reach
the player you want to move, then press right or left (depending which side
he's on) to send him in motion.
Audibles
Set your audibles before you start play. An audible allows you to change the
play at the line of scrimmage in case you don't like something you see. For
instance, if you called an inside run, and you see the entirety of the
opposing defense stacked against you, you may want to audible to a pass play
and avert the tragedy.
When you set audibles, select a deep pass play, a short run, a clock stoppage
play and anything else that runs with any level of consistency. The idea is to
be prepared for anything the opposing team can throw at you.
Hot Routes
In addition to switching up your whole play, you can also switch individual
routes on the fly. Here they are one more time:
Up = Fly or Go Route
Left = In Route
Right = Out Route
Down = Hook
L2 = Slant Left
R2 = Slant Right
Use Hot Routes when you notice something you like on the field. Perhaps you
notice that the defense is lined up in a Cover 2, and you want to pull a
receiver across the field on an In, rather than have him head downfield on a
fly. You can do that at the line with Hot Routes.
Hot Routes are also great for stretching the defense. When you want to be sure
that someone running a shorter route is in single coverage or all alone, send
a nearby receiver or halfback on a fly to pull the defense downfield. By
adjusting on the fly, you can create a lot of great opportunities for yourself.
OFFENSIVE TIPS
Practice, Practice, Practice: Take a half an hour before and after a game to
sharpen your skills. Get your timing down on pass plays. Practice and learn
new plays during this time and work on the weak areas of your game.
Offensive Theories: It is good to have an offensive philosphy as part of your
game plan. Your game plan should be dictated by your personel, playing style
and other intangibles.
Smash-Mouth: The three yards and a cloud of dust offense. Good if you have a
strong running back and offensive line. Also can help if your quarterback is
not so talented.
The Running Back: The ideal running back should have enough speed to get
outside and get away from defenders and enough size and strength to pound it
up the gut and break tackles. If your Running Back is not a great performer,
learn to use him in certain plays that will keep the Defense honest and make
them account for the Run more often.
The Running Game: A solid running game can accomplish several things. First,
it protects the ball, keeps the clock moving and the defense on the field.
Second a solid running game will set up the passing game which will in turn
set up your running game. One of the most frustrating things you can do to a
person is hold the ball and let the clock run down and get a first down via
the run.
Running Tips: Don't always speed burst or juke-save the juice for when you
need it. When you dive through the middle of the line, use the D-pad to
manuever between and behind your blockers. On outside runs, be patient and
wait for your blockers to engage the defenders. Don't overrun your blocking.
Keeps your eyes open and look where you are going. As far as the juke button,
wait until you are past the line of scrimmage and they doing a "double juke"--
juking one way then the other. Use the stiff arm like a punch to knock down
defenders. You can also juke a defender by stopping letting him fly by you
then running again.
Best Time to Run: Is on obvious passing downs. A good time to run is 2nd and
long when the CPU or your opponent is lined up in a pass defense set.
Spread the Ball: You have five eligible receivers on your team. Make sure that
they get equal justice so that the defense will not key on your best players
and keep them honest.
Know Your Role: Know who are going to be your primary and secondary receivers
and know where they should be. You don't have time to be feeling and fumbling
with your controllers. Knowledge of which button to press and when will help
you get your passes off quick and effectively.
Don't Ask For too Much: Don't expect your non-big play players to make big
plays. Asking an average tight end to go long for the bomb may be asking him
to do something that he may not be capable of. A simple five yard hitch may be
better suited for his talent.
Ball Control: Take what the defense gives you and move the sticks. You don't
need to throw a 40 or 50 yard bomb every play, just enough to keep the ball
moving in a positive direction. Find the plays that are going to gain a
constant 5 or so yards. This is your bread and butter.
Recognize Coverages: The first read that you should do is recognizing if it is
man or zone coverage. Does the defensive back follow your WR in motion? Do
they go out and "meet and greet" your WRs? Do they bump and hold them at the
line of scrimmage? Then you are facing man coverage.
Reading Coverages: Reading coverages is not an exact science. Different plays
versus different defenses will have different reads. If you are unfamiliar
with it, I suggest that you go to the practice field and run different
defensive coverages until you are comfortable recognizing them. The way I read
coverages is that I try to read the passing lane and defender drops. Since I
should already know where my receivers should be, my decision is based on the
defenders general location (where they aren't). Crossing routes require that
you read the drops of the linebackers and defensive backs into their zones and
finding the "soft" spots in the coverages.
Flood the Zone: An effective way to beat zone receivers in the area then
defenders. By doing this you can create one or one mismatches that will give
you the numerical advantage.
The Layered Look: This goes under the part of flooding the zone. Send one
player deep, one player medium and one player short on one side of the field.
This gives you an easy read while also creating a mismatch. A good play to use
is the FAR WEAK FLOOD. Put you Flanker in motion and send him on a go route.
Now you have your Flanker going deep, your Split End doing an out (medium) and
your Halfback doing a flare (short).
Defeating Man Defense: One way to beat man coverage is a "pick" play
(receivers whose routes cross and take out a defender). Another way is to have
your wide receiver simply outrun the defender. Then you have to make sure that
the pass is up and over the defenders head. A final way is to have a big,
physical receiver do a short hook route and muscle his way into position. Make
sure that you throw the ball in a place where he can use his body to shield it
from the defender.
Hot Routes: These add a entire new element to play calling as you can audible
just a single player at the line of scrimmage. Don't like the way the play was
originally designed? Change it! You can actually design a new passing play at
the LOS now. Take advantage of the defense you are reading and make your
opponent react to your plans.
Directional Passing: Sometimes you may need to "place" the ball in a certain
position in order to complete the pass. Different coverages will require you
to make different throws. Basically you should try to put the ball in a place
that is (1) hard for the defender to knock away or intercept and (2) in a spot
that places the receiver between the defender and ball or away from the
defender.
Stop Me If You Can: Sometimes you may find a play that works over and over and
over again. I say this: If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Get the First Down: You don't have to go for all the marbles on second and
third down. Just get the first and move the sticks. On third and long, a run
or a short pass may be what the situation dictates. Even if you don't get all
the yards that you need, try to get enough yards to put you in field goal
range or to back your opponent up further.
VI. FRANCHISE 101
So think you can run an NFL team. You think you can be the next Bob Craft,
Jerry Jones and Eddie DiBartolo rolled into one. But all you need is a little
boost. That's why you're here! Let this guide help you down the road to
success and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You too can run an NFL Franchise!
Let's get started...
FRANCHISE WALKTHROUGH
Start Up/Set Up
Choose Number of Users (1-8)
Choose Fantasy Draft (On or Off)
Choose Salary Cap (On or Off)
Choose your team from the NFL Teams available or load it up. After you choose
your team, if you chose Fantasy Draft, you'll be taken to the Draft. See my
notes on Fatnasy Draft strategy. If you did not choose Fantasy Draft, you'll
be taken to the Pre-Season menus.
TRAINING CAMP
Get seven of your chosen players ready for the regular season. These drills
are the same as the Mini-Camp Drills and are pretty easy to begin with while
getting harder the further you progress in each section.
PRE-SEASON
The pre-season is the section of the year where the teams are preparing
themselves for when they play each other in the regular season. Trades are
still being made, teams practice, position battles are waged, and 1st and 2nd
strings are being arranged.
SCHEDULE
Pre-Season
You'll start off with the opportunity to workout 7 players prior to the
preseason to get them into shape.
STORYLINE CENTRAL
**NEW** This section is a great addition to the idea of an information driven
society. If you want to get in touch with the entire world of Madden NFL, this
is where you do it. Everything you would want to know about the goings on of
other franchises in the NFL are found in this section. It is your fingers on
the pulse of the league and your pipeline to success against your opponents.
Check out various media to see information about your team and read stories
related to your Franchise season. From newspapers to e-mail to PDA notes .
Read all on all the help you can on building your franchise and take in the
knowledge. And if that isn't enough, Tony Bruno will bring all the noise you
can handle and more on EA Sports Radio. Ignore this section at your peril...
Newspapers
Choosing this selection will open two selections: National Newspaper and Local
Newspaper. The National Newspaper comes to you courtesy of USA Today. Is that
cool or what? Endorsements abound in this game like a NASCAR jumpsuit. The
National Newspaper obviously takes the juiciest stories from around the league
and is a big source of interest and alert. You can find out who the biggest
players are, the surprise results, key injuries, disgruntled player relations,
milestones reached, and a whole slew of things going on in the league. The
Local Newspaper talks about the same things but only pretaining to the local
team and it starts off always with your team. You can also read all the other
local papers and those stories will give you ideas on what to do as well.
Here's some examples:
The National Newspaper is none other than USA Today. It's good for a quick
read to see what other squads are up to but not much else. Your Local
Newspaper will cover everything concerning your team your team. For extra
credit, read your opponent's newspaper, too. It will give you a heads up on
what they are all about that week.
Check out the stories on the left side of the newspaper to read about your
squad. This is a good place to feel the pulse of your team/franchise and
manage it well. When you make a good decision, it will show up here. When you
make a bad decision, it will show up here, too. You can feel the Prestige rise
and fall right here in the virtual newspapers.
"Player of the Week"
How do you take advantage of this information? If you're playing against his
team, you might want to stay away from his area and plan around him. He's got
the mojo, y'know Joe? If you're in the trade market, you might want to keep an
eye on him in case he fits your team's needs. You don't want to pass up an
opportunity at a hot player, eh? Maybe he's your player already. He might be a
little low on the starting line up or maybe not even starting at all. He's
worth keeping and worth keeping happy: Give him a mini-reward if you can by
making him the top guy in his favorite position if he's a Wide Receiver,
Defensive Tackle or Corner at least until he cools down. Hopefully, he
doesn't! Position battles don't just stop in the pre-season, eh?
"Disgruntled Player"
Here are some ideas on how to take advantage of this situation. If he's on the
other team, plan on running a whole lot of plays in his direction. He'll make
more mistakes than not and it will give you an edge on winning the game. He's
probably saying stuff like "When I play, we win; when I sit, we lose". Take a
peak at his stats. The chances are good that he's one of that teams better
performers in his position. If he fits the bill on your team, trade for him!
You can probably get him cheap (all things considered, of course). If he's
your player, you might want to look into what he might really be after. Maybe
it's money or playing time but see if you can accommodate him before you
decide to ship him out on the the next boat. If he's a key back up like a
Quarterback, Halfback, Safety or Middle Linebacker, I say keep that boy
around. When someone goes down, you'll be glad you kept him happy all that
time.
"Team beats Losers soundly"
Aside from using this as a way of preparing for a solid performing team, you
might want to check out the losers in this game if they are on your schedule.
Preparing for them is also key. There might be holes that your team can
specifically exploit along the way. You should probably check their injury
sheet as well as their depth chart. A +10 OVR advantage on head-to-head
matchups is huge and should not be wasted when the occasion presents itself.
Check out the the team and see who the leaders are: targeting them during the
game can demoralize the club and ease a victory in your direction.
There are more but that should get you started in the right direction.
E-mail
Email ends up being several things. Certainly, this is where you'll get pats
on the back here. But expect some slaps in the face, too. Don't worry, it all
stays in house though. But if things happen either way, you'll hear about so
that's a good thing right? View and arrange the Depth Chart, track Position
Battles, Stats, and anything else from here as well. The PDA is the right side
of the screen; the links on the left get you to the various submenus where you
can manage away. You'll be armed with more tools than you can handle through
your
Here, players will write you to tell you how they're feeling, you'll get tips
on game dynamics like morale and prestige from the PR department, and hear
about other personnel tidbits from various folks from around the organization.
Read these things every week and act on them positively to improve the
prestige and morale of your team, and to see where potential problem areas
exist in your franchise.
This is probably the slickest tickets on Sports Central. When you pull up this
selection, you will get the chance to hear from a variety of people on
subjects that surround the team on a PDA that shows up on the right side of
the screen. The Owner will send a memo to you tell you how nice it was to win
this week or how rotten it feels to lose. The Evaluation Committee will zip
you a message regarding a player and if he's a keeper or someone that you can
leave unprotected. The players themselves will tell you that they want more
money or playing time or that they deserve the starting job. To the left side
of the screen of every e-mail comes the selections you can pick with your D-
pad that relate to the e-mail. Highlight your selection and manage your
player/team/situation. This is why you picked Madden: because its Franchise
Mode is deeper and richer than any other game on the market.
ROSTERS
Manage your team's players from here. Trade, release, re-sign, sign free
agents, set your depth chart, view the injury report: This and a lot of good
stuff happens here without even taking the field.
PRACTICE
"Practice? We're talking about Practice." Yes, Mr. Iverson, we are. Try out
your new defensive and offensive schemes in this section. You run it like you
would any real practice in the NFL: against your own squad.
MY TEAM
This section features Team Info, Exporting your Franchise team for use in
exhibition games, Create-a-Player, or Modify your squad's unis. Meh, it's a
little redundant in the Team Info case but everything else is standardly cool
nonetheless.
STATS/INFO
The Stat Book tracks individual and team stats, coach stats and rankings.
League News gives you updates on each of the NFL's 32 teams.
MY MADDEN
Madden Cards, Coaching Strategy, Gameplay Settings, System Settings, and Save:
These items and controls create and maintain the integrity of the game to your
liking.
THE OWNER'S BOX AND HANDLING YOUR BUSINESS
Aside from the on field aspects of Franchise mode, there are a variety of off-
field aspects and situations that need your attention in order to make this a
successful venture: signing personnel, signing coaches, managing injuries,
trading, setting merchandise prices, upgrading the stadium. It's all part of
the franchise experience. Week to week, how you succeed in lifting Team
Prestige, Team Morale, and Individual Morale will provide indicators as to how
well your team will perform on gameday. Fixing problems will lead to a better
likelihood to success and making matters worse or ignoring them will
absolutely turn out disastrous for your club. If you're handling your business
wisely, you'll know what to do in tough situations and put yourself in a
better position to succeed fiscally and physically (i.e. on the field).
Set Prices
All the middle men have been paid off, the only thing you have to do is figure
out how much to charge to make money on what you've bought. Each of the
submenus in this section deal with various aspects of making money in the NFL
experience. Here they are:
Tickets
Upper deck, lower level, mid-level, luxury suites: you need to set prices as
you deem necessary. Remember, fans will flock for low prices and run from high
prices. It's your basic law of economics. You might get away with higher
prices if your team is doing well. Even during Playoff time, you can jack some
of those prices as high as they can go. But your fans will begin to resent
that even for a day. The default values are legit. Be sensible and you'll be
fine: listen to your advisors!
Concessions
Hamburgers, burritos, soda, sushi, beer and more: everything to feed the face.
You can charge max for beer almost every time. Keep the prices "low" for the
low ticket items e.g. hamburgers, burritos, and soda (I laugh when I say "low"
regarding those prices. Like $3-5 on a burger or soda is "low". LOL).
Merchandise
This is what your big time fans will gobble up like there's no tomorrow.
Here's where you can push the envelope a bit more because fans want what
they've got to have. Your advisors will let you know when you've crossed over
the edge of sanity.
Parking
There's a myriad places to park that are under your pricing influence.
Generally, you should leave the lower prices sit until your advisors say to go
for a mark up. Push the prices to the top for valet and garage parking.
Advertising
This is the only selection that directly discounts from the Expenses, so be
cautious at first. Throw 50K in each slot at first and see how that does, then
build it up further in the future.
Information
This section of Owner's Box give's you graphical and statistical data to help
you manage your Franchise. You can always look at the following Information
about your franchise, and use it to make decisions about what to do next.
Fan Support
Weekly and seasonal information given here will show you how your fans feel
about the team.
Attendance
This graph tells you how many people attend week to week.
Expectations
This is a seasonal graph that projects what Fans expect out of the team.
Income
This graph tells you how much money you've made to date for the season.
Expenses
This pie chart tells you where your money goes. Player salaries take up the
most room, of course. And like the wizards of IGN have aptly pointed out: "If
it isn't, you probably have some serious team issues."
Franchise/Team
These numbers give quick, useful snapshot of your team and it how competes
with other teams in player and coach ratings. Your three highest paid athletes
will be listed at the bottom.
Stadium Info
Section just gives you some statistics on your stadium's capacity, condition
and rating in relation to other stadiums in the league. This is a good first
place to look before you make plans to upgrade or relocate.
City Info
The Fan Support meter is the most important part of this section. Knowing the
weather and such is interesting but not too important to your operation.
Advisors
This just in: your advisors are on your side. This board of directors and
managers are your pulse to raising or lowering prices, spending more money on
coaches, or get better player personnel. Usually, their advice is good.
Following their advice almost always results in more Fan Support, and
ultimately helps your bottom line. Check your advisors after every full week
is complete to see their suggestions, and fix whatever they tell you to, or
pay the consequences in cold, hard cash.
Obviously, doing well during the course of the season is the best way to fill
the seats and keep your fan base gobbling up tickets, food and merchandise. If
your team sucks hard, there be little to nothing that you can do to make the
people of your city care about you. Even if you are doing well, but performing
below expectations, you may see fan apathy rise. Try dropping prices, having
fan appreciation days and generally following everything your advisors tell
you to get out of the slump.
POST SEASONOwner: Signing Coaches
The first thing you need to determine is which coaches your team needs. Check
out the upper right corner of the screen. These initials will appear there:
HC: Head Coach
OC: Offensive Coordinator
DC: Defensive Coordinator
ST: Special Teams Coach
The ones in a red circle are the positions you need to fill for that year.
Each has a Stat category. Here are the ones to consider in order of importance:
HC: Head Coach
MOT, CHEM, KNW, OFF or DEF
OC: Offensive Coordinator
OFF, KNW, CHEM, MOT, QB, RB, WR, OL
DC: Defensive Coordinator
DEF, KNW, CHEM, MOT, DL, LB, DB
ST: Special Teams Coach
K, P, KNW, CHEM, MOT
As with players, coaches need to be on top of their games, too. Obviously,
you'd like all of those categories as high as possible. I haven't developed or
gathered enough yet from EA or other franchise players but I would place a
high premium on Motivation, Chemistry and Knowledge. If you want your teams to
perform, make sure their coaching-related stats are high along with those
three stats.
Coaching Staff
This section allows you to monitor each coach's ratings, release them from
their contracts, or promote them. Be sure to monitor your coaches' contract
status along with the success of your team. At the end of each season, you
have the opportunity to pay, promote or release your coaches and you don't
want to miss out on that opportunity when it arises.
Training Staff
These guys can cost a lot but they are well worth it. The default staff is
decent but a lot of injuries occur under their training supervision. One of
the training groups has EA in their name. Wanna bet they're worth their weight
in gold? I did and There's a reason why you pay for insurance. Get you some
right here...
Coach Progression
Checkout if your getting all that you paid for with your coaching staff and
determine if they're worth keeping as a result. Come here first before you
release someone. Improving coaches should be promoted, of course. You already
know what to do with those guys who suck on beer 6 days a week.
Change Owners
If you can't take the heat, and want to jump ship, or just want a change of
scenery, jump in here and find out who's looking for a new head of football
operations. Believe it or not, you da man/chick/thang they are looking for.
Believe that! Now get pump/psyched/geeked/stoked/whatever again and get back
in the game. And you know what they love to say here on Madden and all over EA
Sports:
IF IT'S IN THE GAME, IT'S IN THE GAME!
Franchise Progress
The new Storyline Central tool is a good thing to look at each week in order
to gauge how your team is doing, get suggestions on how to run your franchise
better, and check in on stats and other info that might give you an edge in
the upcoming contest. In each of the Newspaper stories, you'll find links to
the right which let you manipulate everything that pertains to the situation
being discussed. The E-mail that flies gives you slightly more intimate
snapshots of each pressing situation. And of course, EA Sports Radio is worth
listening to for the occasional blurb about your team and its players.
Morale
Check out your team under the Team Information menu. L2/R2 over to the section
covering your team's morale on the PDA. As with any meter, you want it to go
in a positive direction and with as much good stuff involved as possible.
First, learn to read the graph:
Green means that the team is moving in the right direction.
Yellow means your guys are in holding pattern, neither getting too high nor
too low.
Orange means that things are heading toward disaster.
Red means you're having major problems.
A long line in the meter means morale is high, up tempo, strong and/or good.
A short line in the meter means morale is down, uninspired, weak and/or bad.
Know the signs and what they mean and you'll be able to handle the problems
and situations well.
Here are some common situations that come up that affect Morale:
Naming Team Captains.
Players fighting position battles and winning the starting job.
Players fighting position battles and having to sit out games.
Having two players of equal ability in one position and making one of them sit
out of games.
Having two players of unequal ability in one position and making one a greater
OVR sit out of games.
Strength of play on gameday.
Players playing out of position.
Players being traded.
Players with high IMP being traded.
Players being released mid-season.
Players being re-signed.
Players waiting to be signed in the last year of their contracts.
Players getting weekly awards.
Players getting position awards.
Players getting named MVP.
Players getting Playoff recognition.
Players getting named Super Bowl MVP.
Prestige
Prestige is the perception of esteem that is given to the team: Players'
perception, Coaches' perception, League perception, World's perception.
Certainly, this can be confusing because everything that feeds into team
morale will help its prestige. Prestige takes a little more in and has more to
do with the team effort and it can include the corporate aspects as well.
Winning often and winning big games is a huge boon to prestige, and losing
will cost you in this department. Your team will take an even bigger hit if
expectations are high. Likewise, being irresponsible with your personnel will
lead to poor prestige.
Prestige determines several underlying factors that will affect a team short
and long term:
Sign the players in the offseason.
Re-signing players.
Increased or decreased possibility holdouts.
Types of sponsorships.
Fan attendance/loyalty.
Here are some common situations that come up that affect Prestige:
Winning games.
Losing too many games.
Winning games in a row
Losing games in a row.
Winning key games
Losing key games.
Winning Rivalry Games.
Losing Rivalry Games.
Making the Playoffs.
Missing the Playoffs.
Winning in the Playoffs.
Losing in the Playoffs.
Winning the Super Bowl.
Losing the Super Bowl.
Team Offensive Ranking.
Team Defensive Ranking.
Special Teams Ranking.
Team Overall Ranking.
Listen to the advice of your advisors, read your Team Info, read the
Newspapers and keep track of your email to avoid making costly decisions down
the road.
OFF SEASON SCHEDULERetired Players
You'll see who's hanging them up and calling it a career. Say your farewells
here because this is final, they are not coming back, and there is nothing you
can do to change their minds.
Restricted Free Agents
These are players who can be bid on by other franchises during this year. Bid
on them or not, you really need to make sure they are worth the asking price
because it's steep and involves giving up some draft choices if you're going
after someone from another team.
Re-Sign Players
To re-sign a player, click on Re-Sign. The appearing submenu shows you his
desired salary, his desired contract length, and his desired signing bonus.
There is even a year-by-year breakdown of how exactly the money will be paid.
Make sure to check the Player's Interests and see exactly what you can change
to make him want to stay around and how important each aspect of his interests
are to him. Remember that you also need to keep everyone signed and that there
are draft picks that will need your financial attention, too. Most players are
reasonable so shoot for the lower the total salary when possible. A big
signing bonus will ease the tension of signing and take pressure off of the
Salary Cap, too. But don't just lowball someone: consider what similar guys of
his OVR rating are making that year, too.
The other options available here are:
Re-Sign Player
Trade Player
Apply Franchise Tag
This keeps the player on your team and guarantees him a deal before he can
leave. Put the Franchise tag on him but be prepared to meet his price.
Edit Player
This is all cosmetic and background type stuff, nothing stat-wise.
On the Player Management screen, you can also scroll through tons of player
infor on the PDA. Check out his ratings and other players' salaries at his
position in order to help make the decision of what amount to offer him in the
contract.
If you're having trouble meeting Salary Cap demands, these are some viable
options to consider:
Renegotiate contracts.
Release players.
Trade players.
Turn the Salary Cap off at the Gameplay menu.
The first priority is to sign those guys who have 0 years left on their
contract. Make sure you want to keep them. Some players might have star
written all over them and they may still have 1-2 years left on their
contracts. You might want to renegotiate their contracts before they become
those 99 OVR monsters who scream out to you: "Show me da money!"
Rookie Scouting
Find out first where your needs are for your team and work from there: Check
out the Breakdown screen in the Roster menu to see where you are short of the
required personnel. Anything in gray on this screen should be addressed
immediately or else you cannot start the season. Fill your requirements and
then go for the fluff if you have money for it. then go to the Rookie Scouting
screen to spy out who you can help fill up the roster according to your needs.
Each prospect can be scouted as many as three times. You can scout as few as
you want up to 45 prospects. But with those 45 prospects, you'll only get a
short blurb on each one's abilities and their scores on the drills, tests and
interviews. The fewer you scout: the deeper you can get into each player's
psyche and physical make up.
Here's a trick that will yield you closer to real life results:
Enter the Rookie Scouting section; make sure the CPU calculates which
prospects will go in the various rounds of the draft.
Exit the Rookie Scouting section of the Schedule.
Turn off Autosave.
Save this Franchise manually from here until after the Draft.
Grab a pen and paper or fire up Word on your computer.
Scout 15 players of your choosing up to 3 times.
After you've scouted those players, make your notes as to who's worth taking
and what round they are expected to be taken.
Exit Franchise mode and DO NOT SAVE.
Go back into Rookie Scouting again.
Scout 15 different players of your choosing...
Wash, rinse, repeat... until you've scouted as many players as you would have
liked to for that Draft.
The reason why I say this is closer to real life is because it is my feeling
that, with ESPN, Fox Sports and all the other corporate networks covering the
NCAA, Arena, and other professional leagues, no one flies in under the radar
anymore. If they do, it really is a fluke. Joe Montana does not get drafted in
the 4th round. The great Cowboy OLinemen do drop toward the 3rd and 4th
rounds. And Ryan Leaf gets shown for not being worthy of the 1st Round/1st
Pick.
Anyway, rant over: play the way you want to play. You paid for the whole game:
play what you paid for.
NFL Draft
If you did your homework well, this section will be a breeze. If you didn't do
your homework in the Rookie Scouting section, you deserve to have your butt
flapping in the wind. Make a note to constantly check your Breakdown to see
how well you're filling in the open positions. From the main menu, you can
which part of the order you fall into. You can also Trade Players from here
allowing for some of those last-minute trades for position and value.
To start, enter the Draft room, you will be on the clock. Don't worry: you can
slow down the Draft Speed if you need time to think over choices or you can
simply jump out of the Draft room to stop the clock for a moment. Speed it up
to let everyone else make their picks. When your turn comes around, the
unpicked draftees will show up for each position. The top available selections
will be at the top of this list. You can also scroll through each categories
to see who can meet your team needs. So make your pick and get ready to do the
same for your next pick. A summary the picks in draft order will launch at the
end of the round. If you don't have a pick in a particular round, the CPU will
skip you.
Sign Draft Picks
Sign each draftee as you would if he were a Free Agent pick up. The Draft
Recap will show who got picked up and when during the Draft, the Draft Grades
selection will rate how all the NFL teams did picking their guys (handy if you
take pride in that sort of thing), and the Breakdown will show the positions
you're still looking to fill.
Take note: you don't HAVE to sign everyone. Fill the vacancies and
requiremetns in your roster and get ready to sign some Free Agents!
Free Agent Signing
Picking up Free Agents here is slightly different from during the season: you
have to compete against the other clubs. The players start out in OVR order
from highest to lowest. Make a good offer and see if other clubs are after
your guy. Be patient and keep your eyes open for other prospects you are
interested in. You can make as many offers as you need to just be careful not
to repeat your efforts and to fill roster requirements first. If someone makes
a better offer, you can choose to pursue your offer
Re-Order Depth Charts
Set your roster right here. The top man on the list is the No. 1 for that
position. It also sets up the stage for those wonderful Position Battles that
will happen in the pre-season. The Depth Chart will show some stats in yellow.
These are the ratings that changed during the offseason.
Start New Season
Time to move on to the Pre-Season. Tell the CPU you're ready, and select your
opponents for the pre-season in the next section. Now we're ready for some
football, eh Hank Williams, Jr.?
Did you want some ketsup with your Franchise? It's right there. Let me know if
you have some questions or issues you'd like to discuss in this mode. I know
there's a lot more out there. We all could chime in on it. I'm learning a lot
from you guys on the other threads, too.
FRANCHISE DRAFTING, TRADING AND OTHER NOTES
Franchise Mode:
The most important statistics of any position are listed in his record or
player information section...
Generally, Round 4,5, and 6 draft choices are of little value to the CPU. When
you trade for them or shuffle your trade with the CPU, it seems to treat Round
4,5, and 6 draft choices as if it received nothing at all from you...
Consequently, Round 1,2, and 3 draft choices are worth a lot to the CPU. Make
sure that, when you get around to the more serious parts of your Drafting and
Trading, you trade for these particular Rounds at a minimum...
Having a particular pick in any round is vitally important in Drafting and
Trading...
When Trading players, position takes precedence over their Overall (OVR)
stats. Generally this is the order of preference:
1. QB
2. HB
3. MLB
4. WR
5. CB
6. SS
...
I haven't studied the other positions too deeply. I do know that Guards are
worth more than Tackles. Defenseive Ends are worth more than Defensive
Tackles. IMO Free Safeties, Outside Linebackers, Tight Ends, and Fullbacks are
surprisingly low in priority...
If you are Trading to Draft, the higher the OVR is of the player you are
trading: the better...
You would be pleasantly surprised at how powerful a bargaining chip Round
1/Pick 1 actually is...
Knowing the above now, a 75 OVR QB can be worth a 85 OVR Fullback. That
knowledge can be helpful down the road when you want to unload that overpriced
poser for a slick new Run Blocking, Pass Blocking, Receiving Incredible Hulk
in the 2nd to last row for millions less on the CAP...
The CPU seems to favor Age over Stats. Example: I can trade Round 1/Pick 1 for
90 OVR QB Drew Bledsoe at age 32 but not for 83 OVR QB Joey Harrington at age
22. Stat vs. Stat: the CPU will make us give up the Higher Stat player for
Lower Stat player that plays the same position. Stat and old age vs. Stat and
young age: the CPU will weigh the age in its decision and favor giving up the
Higher Stat, older player for the Lower Stat, younger player that plays the
same position. It's not always true but that's the idea...
One more checkpoint: Injury (INJ) and Toughness (TGH?). These are the last
Stats as you scroll right to check all of the players' Stats. It seems
meaningless; I place a pretty good value on knowing this because it's not
always given and it's good insurance and assurance to know these. You don't
want a 95 OVR QB with 60 INJ and 60 TGH; he'll be in the hospital more than on
the field. For both Stats, the higher: the better...
In Madden 2001 and 2002, the ability to edit the player was available only in
the pre-Draft listings and occurred prior to Drafting them; no NFL player
could be altered in any way. Madden allows us to edit almost everything we
want on any player after the Draft occurs. Just go into the Roster Menu and
view the present Roster. To the bottom right of the TV screen, you'll see the
X, the Edit button. Hit it and edit to your heart's content. And in case you
are wondering, statistics cannot be manipulated or changed...
Caveat: you are not allowed to change the facial features and university on
any current NFL Player but you can change their names, numbers and other
physical characteristics. So you don't like Donovan McNabb's name but you dig
his body and change his name to your own. Now you can run around saying you
ARE as good as Donovan McNabb and back it up. You can also give any player
your name and have those Good Owner/Bad Player Self-bonding sessions that
like: "Y'know, sayow... You're a 30 year old, 63 OVR Defensive Tackle that's
bigger than Warren Sapp and Ted Washington combined. And you're asking for $10
million a year for 7 years. All I have to say is... You're worth it, buddy! I
LOVE YOU, MAN!!!"
:o)
::passes everyone their favorite brew::
You can now play with your Franchise team in almost all other modes. In
Franchise mode, go to the Features menu and you should see the Export Team
option. This will allow you to save your prized Franchise team so it can be
accessed in the other modes. Go back to Exhibition or Practice mode and load
up the teams using the O button. You'll have to use the L1/R1 to scroll to
find your Exported Team. From there, hit the gridiron and go at it, homey!
I was just in Exhibition mode watching my LA Hawks take on the Rams. It's a
pretty fair fight I think: Rams are 95 OVR Offense/93 OVR Defense (something
like that) and my Pitbulls are 90 OVR Offense/99 OVR Defense. And I'm just
kickin' back because all I want to do is watch my guys run in Simulation. To
me, that's just fun to watch because I put that team together and I made them
competitive. I also used to hate playing my franchise team because I had to
regain the feel for my players each year. And having to learn a new book was
pretty painful, too. Now, I can Export them, enter Practice mode and practice
using a different books with no repercussions due to inexperience and
uncomfortability. Just work out the kinks, a la voluntary mini-camp, and...
BOOM... I'm into the real Pre-Season in Franchise mode with a running start.
This, my friends, is very cool...
Never run the same playbook two years in a row. In fact, switch to different
playbooks every year for at least 10 years to be sure that the CPU is not
cheating on you...I've played/simulated over 25 years of Madden 2005
Franchises now. I simulate the non-important games and play the tough ones. I
have lost a couple of players to career ending injuries; one was a prized QB.
And I've won a lot of Super Bowls in Madden. As a whole, I've played/simulated
over 300 years in Madden's hallowed Franchise Mode in all Madden Francise
versions since 2001. Hope this helps...
Exporting Your Franchise Team:
Set up your franchise team in Franchise mode
:p
Go to the Features menu
Select Export Team
Make sure that your team is highlighted as the one to export and hit X
You will have the chance to change the name of your saved roster. If you like
to keep versions of your Exported Team, make the necessary changes to the name
and click on Done
Madden will now save the roster so you can access it in the Main menu
Go to the Main menu
Go to Exhibition mode
Hit O to load your team
Find your Exported Team
You will use the R1 or L1 if you need to scroll to find it
Highlight the team you want to export
Hit X
You will now see it as a selection among all the teams you can play in
Exhibition mode
You can do the same thing to use your team in Practice mode. Hope this helps...
FRANCHISE: DRAFTING
Remember what I said about me being a big time Franchise player? Let me get
you in on some really deep inside stuff now...
I went through my third team in Franchise mode and scouted the Draft for the
new year. I came across a name and was reminded of my many conversations with
the brothers at the former Madden Central site. The name was [b]Melvin
Summerall[/b] - DT. Obviously, I'm focusing in on that last name. I drafted
him at 60 OVR. Three years later, He's an 82 OVR. My notes show there have
been cases where certain players can increase as much as 14 OVR per season!
How about that...
EA Sports and Tiburon have had a history of putting characters in the Draft
that are pretty poor draft choices at first glance. The trick is in finding
the people with the right names and taking the time to develop them. I'll get
into developing them in a moment. Right now, here is a list of names you'll
want to keep in mind next time you draft:
Addis, Icer
Aristegui Jr.
Barnes
Bayless
Brookes
Burnsides, Ryan
Carty
Casalino
Cashion
Chiang, Steve
Cinquegrano
Cooper
Dezern
Donis, Greg
Du Plessis
Ellis
Fong, Gordon
Frasier
Hintze
Hixon
Hochstadt
Ilko
Ingram
Jackson
Kossenko
Lenzy
Martin
McFarland
Miller
Molinari
Nagy, Scott
Nakfoor, Mike
Olivera
Ostresh
Paulding
Pham
Poole
Portillay
Quintero
Reed, Mike
Renick
Rich
Rojas
Rosado, Jorge
Ruark, Holly
Schaefer
Schappert, John
Schmidt
Sedberry, Ted
Sherwood
Spander
Spangler
Spoto
St. John
Stradler, Jeremy
Stradling, Ryan
Strauser
Stuckey
Swanson
Teall
Trobraugh
Turk
Ulrich, Bill
Vance
Vandiver
Vanelli
Walker
Waller
Wasserman
Weilbacher
Yu, Ben
Zala
NOTE: This is from last year's credits screens. You should check to see if
these are the same people from this year. All indications from my end say that
these are the same guys they pay homage to. Other important names to probably
keep in mind for this year are Madden, Summerall,
Michaels, Guerrero, and Stark (of course!). Keep in mind
that the name Lewis may also be important to draft as well. In 2003,
the name Faulk was significant as well. The ones with the first names
are the executives at Tiburon and EA Sports. So drafting those names is
probably even important. I had a Fullback named Chiang that ended up running
like a TE, blocking like a Tackle and received like the great Tom Rathman. Did
he make Pro Bowl and All Madden each year, too? Yep. Talk about your Offensive
Thunder and Lighting Run game: my Running game was closer to being like a
Black Hole and Nova, yaknowhathamsayin'...:^OFRANCHISE: SIGNING and RE-SIGNING
There comes a time during the Franchise process where players can be signed
and re-signed. If you don't play with the CAP on, don't worry about this. For
the more serious among us, read on...
After Drafting a player, you can do several things:

Sign him on your own
This is my preferred method. Sometimes you can offer .10 million less and end
up signing him for the amount of years they were hoping for. Sometimes you can
offer .50 million more and end up having them sign for a year longer.
Generally, all players are asking for a 3-4 year contract. If you have the
money and the player is worth it, multiply the asking price by 1.8 and the
player will usually agree to playing for 7 years.

Have the CPU sign
him for you
This is my least favorite thing to do. The CPU does the easiest thing: signs
him for 2-3 years at his asking price. That's wasting money...

Cut him
and make him a Free Agent
This is the Cut him and put him in the Free Agent market tactic. It has it's
advantages...
CHEEZ ALERT!!!
CHEEZ ALERT!!!
CHEEZ ALERT!!!
If you draft and immediately cut him loose, he will be available on the first
day of the Pre-Season in the Free Agent market. This works especially well if
you drafted him high like Round 1/Pick 1 since they ask for unreasonable
salaries because of that fact. You can get him at a more reasonable salary in
the Free Agency and have all that CAP to still play around with. So Draft him,
cut him loose to Free Agency, then pick him up from Free Agency when the Pre-
Season starts...
CHEEZ ALERT ENDED
CHEEZ ALERT ENDED
CHEEZ ALERT ENDED
It is important leave room in your CAP in case one of your players goes down
due to injury. You can use that CAP room to sign that emergency player rather
than place someone on the Injured Reserve (IR) that you know will heal down
the road. Once you put someone on the IR, they cannot come back to play in the
season. If you fail to make CAP room to purchase a player, you will be stuck
having to decided to whether vacate your position in the front office or to
just start Franchise mode all over again...

Re-signing players is
similar to signing them from day one. I've found that players generally don't
make unreasonable demands. You should check their progression charts and
recall how they have treated you in the past. If they have an upward trend in
their development, they may be worth re-signing. If they have slacked off
while playing for you, you could cut them or still re-sign them and use them
as Trading fodder. I've even re-signed players that have done very well for me
just to trade them for even better players...FANTASY FRANCHISE DRAFT TECHNIQUE
The Fantasy Draft. The Dream World which says "NFL, let's give everybody a
fair chance to start over again and be the best they can be with a fresh
start..." It's a fantastic chance to get match wits with the coaches and
managing staff of the NFL on more common ground. And if you love the NFL, this
is what you live to love so you can live and love...
Everybody is going to have their method of choosing players and this is really
not trying to say in itself that this is the definitive way to choose your
players when entering the Fantasy Draft. What I am attempting here is simply
to give a template, a guideline or outline, that should be used in a free-form
manner to choose the players in a more effective way. Hopefully, this will
serve you as well as it has served as it has me...
Firstly, choose the team you want to represent. Choosing the Jets, Browns,
Cardinals, Texans, Chargers, Giants, Lions, Falcons and Cardinals will give
you the best chances at the higher choices at the start of the Fantasy Draft.
You can even load in your created team. Of course, the choices alternate but
getting that first choice can be the difference between getting Marshall Faulk
and getting Ray Lewis. Something think about...
I have every choice placed in groups. The method is simple: choose every
position in that group before moving to the next group. You can make
substitutions but the method should stay the same: choose every position in
that group before moving to the next group. The big stats to keep in mind are
AWR, INJ, TGH: the higher, the better. The point of each is to create a
powerful group that will be greater than the sum of its parts. That's Gestalt
for those of you who love words. ;)
One more point: choose length of contract over statistical superiority, within
reason, of course. I find that a team that can develop quicker if the
contractual situation is already dealt with at the beginning. You'll see what
I mean. I decided to go with the Chargers slot in the Fantasy Draft...
Here's the format:
Group 1
Quarterback
Offensive Tackle
Offensive Tackle
Middle Linebacker
Defensive Tackle/Nose Tackle
Rationale: I always make QBs my first choice. I plan on throwing a lot and I
need a great QB not just an adequate one. The Tackles are needed to protect
this precious QB. On the other side of the ball, Mr. MLB needs to be tops on
the list: he's is the heart and soul of the Defense, its core and its center...
Cool choices at this point: Filling the QB slot seemed the best section to
start with Tom Brady and Trent Greene available. Surprising to some Madden
players, DTs seem to be in big demand early. The great middle linebackers get
grabbed early so you can afford to wait for even your 4th or 5th pick to go
with Jeramiah Trotter or London Fletcher. If you don't want to wait that long
go after Zack Thomas. Sometimes you can get lucky and cover man Ray Lewis is
at the top of the list. I advocate getting Chris Hovan here. I'm a big fan of
Kyle Turley, Jason Fabini, Todd Light and Mike Compton; they're all available
at some point in this section of the draft...
Group 2
Halfback
Wide Receiver
Cornerback
Outside Linebacker
Defensive End
Rationale: This is simply about the important primary pieces that make up your
line ups. Halfback and Wide Receiver are going to handle the rock a lot but
not as much as the QB. This Wide Receivers needs to be as high in AWR, CTH and
SPD as possible. That's why they are in this group. The Cornerback, Outside
Linebacker, and Defensive End are these Offensive positional counterparts. The
Cornerback needs to be as high in SPD and AWR as possible...
Cool choices at this point: Ahmed Plummer will be my shutdown corner. My man
Tiaina Seau, Jr. is available up through the 6th pick then he's gone. Desmond
Howard is my lead edge rusher and has to be picked early as well or else he's
out of sight and off the table. Reggie Wayne and Keyshawn Johnson always seem
to be available here...
Group 3
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Defensive Tackle
Cornerback
Strong Safety
Outside Linebacker
Rationale: I plan on being able to score early and often. That's the reason
for picking up the Kicker here. The Wide Receiver is about high CTH and AWR;
high SPD would be nice but not necessary. If a TE like Tony Gonzalez or Jeremy
Shockey is still around by the start of this section, grab him and do not let
go. Defensive Tackle is all about controlling the line: STR is the biggest
asset here. The OLB is all about Tackling and Strong Safety is all about AWR
and SPD...
Cool choices at this point: This was suprisingly an amazing section of the
draft for me. WR Larry Fitzgerald may not be a bad choice here. But to my
surprise, TE Tony Gonzalez was also available. Adam Archuleta is a stud at
Strong Safety and Mike Minter can be gotten later here if you decide to hold
off a bit. Ricky Manning is an awesome pick in this section. And snag Orpheus
Roye at DT ASAP. You will not be disappointed...
Group 4
Tight End/Wide Receiver
Offensive Guard
Center
Free Safety
Defensive End
Rationale: We're filling in gaps now. You'll have to realize that these guys
are not going to be the cream of the crop. So you're picking here to have
solid players to round out your line-up at this point. I usually focus heavier
on the contract length, age, development potential and tradeability of these
guys. One good thing: Tight Ends are still pretty high OVR even at this late
in the Draft. If you already have a good TE, scope out the best WR with AWR,
CAT, SPD, INJ, and TGH and bring him on board...
Cool choices at this point: Zack Bronson is still available this late in the
draft. If you have your 2nd WR, Todd Heap and Jeremy Shockey could still be
here to pick. If not, Bubba Franks and Alge Crumpler make great choices at TE.
I found OG Mike Compton here more than once at this point. Donovan Darius can
be added as an up and coming CB...
Group 5
Fullback
Offensive Guard
Back up QB/HB/3rd WR
Kicker
Punter
Rationale: Same thing here: we're filling in gaps. Another cool observation:
good Fullbacks are available even here...
Cool choices at this point: Mike Vanderjagt is still ready for kicking duty
here. You can wait to the next pick and end up with Ryan Longwell. Todd
Sauerbrun is available here, too. The Guard and Center are my priorities to
pick first here. If you've neglected choosing your 2nd Guard late here, you
probably should pick two Guards of the highest available back to back in this
section because their INJ and TGH are fair to middlin' once you get this deep
in the draft. Think of them as one guy because, more than likely, somebody is
just going to get hurt along the way and you don't want to be caught one deep
in this position...
I average an 87 OVR every time I pick my team. Maybe you can do better...
Other ideas:

If you want to throw more often than I do, pick a third WR
instead of the Kicker in Group 3. Antonio Bryant is usually available and you
can never go wrong with Antonio burning it up as your third
option...

If you like to run A LOT, pick a better Center in Group 2
instead of the Wide Receiver and a Guard in Group 3 instead of the Kicker or
Wide Receiver...

If Defense is your forte, pick a better Cornerback in
Group 2 instead of the Wide Receiver and a better Cornerback in Group 3
instead of the Kicker or Wide Receiver...

Here's one more fan
favorite: Bait and Switch. Seriously! It's cheezy but, if you don't mind being
the mouse, I'll bring you a little of that sharp cheddar. What you probably
have noticed in Madden and other games is that teams have a philosophy of play
and style and place differences in value for certain types of players at any
particular time in the season. Some positions, like a high quality QB, WR, HB,
MLB, OLB, CB, SS, or DE, will always be in demand. I've held Anquan Boldin,
Larry Fitzgerald, Ben Rothlisberger, Phillip Rivers, Terrell Suggs, Charlie
Garner, Keyshawn Johnson, and a whole bunch of others just to get some of the
people that I absolutely had to have on my team. Sometimes you can get one
great player for one of these and a not so good player and other times you can
get two great players for two of these and a not so good player. You can get
the AI to trade with you under these circumstances. Now, remember this is not
realistic IMO but it is effective. As I always say in cases like this, do what
you want to do: If you bought the whole game, you should play the whole
game...

Signing
Check your personnel before you end the season. Some should be signed before
the season starts. The ones that indicate one year left on their contracts
will become Free Agents once the season starts and, even though you get a
chance to sign them before they become Free Agents then, the price they are
asking for here will be significantly lower if you expect one or a few of
their OVRs to increase. This goes for even regular Franchise play...
Check it... I have a Franchise where I noticed that my favorite Junior starts
the season with one year left on his contract: Junior is not going to retire
next year. So before the season starts, I sign him to a quick 7 year deal.
He's easy. Do you know why? He's over 30 years old. I have also found that
players over 30 years old will practically always sign for 7 year deals unless
they are 90+ OVR. I also hesitate to re-sign anyone else until the end of the
year. I save about .50 million to resign Rodney Harrison before going into the
next season. Keep that in mind when you walk the ranks of your personnel
before you start the season...
Signing Holdouts
I always sign Holdouts. Be careful not to trade him too quickly or out of
spite. I have found that most of them are only asking for fair market value.
Also check your equivalent personnel: there's a good chance that one of your
players at a similar position is making more money than that other player and
they don't ask for anything unreasonable in relation to that. All they really
want is Fair Market Value and that's really not so bad...
HIDDEN PLAY CALLING WHEN PLAYING AT HOME WITH A FRIEND
This is from the owners manual. This is what you do when you think your pal is
cheating on you during your playcalling and you think he/she is stealing your
play selection before the snap:
On offense to call a play from the header below the selection window, press
the L2 button + the [] button, X button or O button. To call a play from the
header above, press the L1 + the [] button, X button or O button.
Hope that helps...
Thanks go out to:
Jesus Christ - Who is EVERYTHING yo...
simalcrum - For pointing me in the right direction and getting me
started in making an FAQ for IGN and other sites...
Tiaina Seau, Jr. (aka Junior Seau) - For being my source of football
inspiration for the last decade and a half. You're a great man, Junior! I want
my kids to grow up to be like you...
Makaveli and GridIronGhost - THE most helpful Madden players and
posters on the virtual planet...
TJAJ9 - My NFL brother, friend and buddy. GO EAGLES!...
All the great bubbahs and sistahs at the mighty IGN Football and Madden NFL
Boards - What can I say: you're my virtual family...
A big and mighty pound/dap to all o' y'all! Much love, much peace for showing
me some that sump'm-sump'm...
That's all for now. I'll be cleaning up my notes on the Ladies and have
something a bit more organized next time. There's so much to do. :)
Peace...
-sayow-